A high court in Ibadan has fixed Monday, January 13, 2025, to rule on the bail applications filed by Naomi Silekunola, ex-wife of Ooni of Ife, Oriyomi Hamzat, CEO of Agidigbo FM, and Fasasi Abdullahi.

Abdullahi serves as the principal of Islamic High School, the site of the stampede incident in Ibadan.

The trio are standing trial over their alleged roles in a stampede at a funfair in December, which claimed the lives of over 40 people, most of them children.

The defendants were remanded at Agodi correctional centre on December 24 after being charged with conspiracy, negligence causing harm, and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities.

At the hearing on Tuesday, their legal representatives presented separate arguments for bail.

Silekunola was represented by Musibau Adetunmbi, while Hamzat and Abdullahi were represented by Adekunle Sobaloju.

The prosecution, led by Abiodun Aikomo, Oyo state attorney-general and commissioner for justice, opposed the bail applications.

He asked the court to deny the defendants temporary release.

After hearing the submissions of both defendants and prosecutor, Kamarudeen Olawoyin, the presiding judge, reserved his ruling for January 13.

Buba Marwa, the chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says operatives of the agency arrested over 18,500 suspected drug traffickers and seized 2.6 million kilograms of illicit drugs in 2024.

Marwa spoke in Lagos on Tuesday during the inauguration of the NDLEA central exhibit office.

The US government donated the NDLEA central exhibit office located at the agency’s headquarters annex in Ikoyi.

Marwa said the steady operational successes being recorded by the agency in its drug supply and demand reduction efforts were attributable to the support given to it by the US government and other partners.

“Today, I am particularly pleased to acknowledge one of such gestures, namely the donation of the office for our central exhibit custodians,” he said.

“This donation acknowledges the critical need for efficient and secure handling of evidence, which is essential for the successful prosecution of drug-related cases.

“This contribution will not only strengthen our operational framework but also set a new standard for accountability and transparency in drug law enforcement

“It is an investment in the security and the future of our nations.”

Marwa said in spite of the agency’s improved performance, its personnel recognised that the war against drug trafficking and abuse is far from being over.

“As an organisation, we are committed to surmounting the challenges,” he said.

The NDLEA chairman noted that tremendous successes had been recorded on all fronts against the drug menace despite many challenges.

“So far, the results have been justifying. In 2024, we seized over 2.6 million kilograms of illicit drugs across the country,” he said.

“We arrested more than 18,500 drug trafficking offenders and got over 3,250 convicted, including 10 drug barons, with more than 220 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed.

“While in the same breath, we counselled and rehabilitated over 8,200 drug abusers.

“We organised more than 3,000 sensitisation and advocacy programmes across the country in schools, markets, motor parks, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others.”

The police command in the federal capital territory (FCT) has announced the arrest of 50 suspected vandals of public facilities in the nation’s capital.

During the parade of the suspects on Monday, Olatunji Disu, FCT police commissioner, stated that the suspects were arrested in markets where “fairly used” items are sold in Kabusa, Garki, Mabushi, and Wuse.

Disu explained that the suspects are part of a network involved in selling stolen “manhole covers” to scrap dealers.

He added that operatives also recovered 25 “manhole covers,” five “solar streetlights,” and other items stolen from public facilities.

The 50 suspects arrested include Bashir Usman, Shaibu Ibrahim, Sani Isah, Ibrahim Hassan, Mustapha Hassan, Awal Nawan, Umar Aliyu, Auta Umar, Datti Ibrahim, Mohammed Salim, Ibrahim Ibrahim, Ifeanyi-Chuckwu Emmanuel, Abba Ismail, Najib Abdul, Muhammed Lawal, Rabiu Ibrahim, Adamu Suleiman, Abdulkarim Abdullahi, and Haruna Nasiru.

Others include Abdul Nai’ja, Josua Steven, Livinus Steven, Ismail Abdullahi, Munir Sada, Ibrahim Yahaya, Yahaya Musa, Dahiru Nasiru, Abdullahi Muhammed, Monday Barnabas, Hamisu Iman, Promise Abanonum, Ehieze Emeka, Ehieze Justice, Mohammed Inusa, Tijanni Suleiman, Promise James, and Haruna Auwalu; Ayuba Danjuma, Suleiman Abu, Nafiu Ahmmed, Kamalu Junaidu, Zaradeen Yakubu, Abdulhadi Adam, Mohammed Ibrahim, Chukwu Emmanuel, Douglas Yahaya, Mohammed Lawal, Auwal Musa, and Abubakar Kabiru.

Other recovered items include several “galvanised poles” used in constructing flyovers, 15 “streetlight poles” cut into smaller pieces, rolls of high-voltage Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) cables, two locally made pistols, two live cartridges, 30 tubes of “triple sub glue,” and 13 large “solar panels.”