The Oyo State Government has filed an 18-count charge, including manslaughter, against Naomi Silekunola, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife; Oriyomi Hamzat, the CEO of Agidigbo FM; and Fasasi Abdullahi, the principal of Islamic High School. The charges stem from a tragic stampede at a Christmas funfair in Ibadan that resulted in the deaths of 35 children.

The suspects are currently in detention, with the state alleging their failure to ensure adequate security and medical provisions at the event. At the Oyo State High Court on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, the defence team appealed for bail, arguing their clients posed no flight risk and had cooperated fully with the investigation.

Counsel for the defendants argued that their detention was unconstitutional, citing procedural flaws and the illegitimacy of the “holding charge” used to remand them. Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Adekunle Sobaloju, representing Oriyomi Hamzat, stated that the holding charge is not recognised under Nigeria’s Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA). He urged the court to grant bail, emphasising that detaining the accused without proper arraignment violated their rights.

“We filed an application for bail, and the court has reserved its ruling for January 13. The continued detention of the defendants on a holding charge is legally unfounded,” Sobaloju told journalists after the court session.

The state’s Attorney General, Abiodun Aikomo, opposed the bail applications, emphasising the seriousness of the charges and the need for justice for the victims. He dismissed allegations of persecution as baseless and insisted that the defence had not provided compelling reasons for their release.

Initially, the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ibadan filed charges of conspiracy, culpable homicide, negligence, and failure to ensure safety against the trio. However, the matter was later transferred to the state high court for proper jurisdiction.

Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi, who presided over the earlier proceedings, declined to take the defendants’ pleas, directing that the case be escalated to the appropriate court.

Justice K.B. Olawoyin has reserved judgment on the bail applications, which will be delivered on Monday, January 13, 2025. The case remains a significant legal battle, with both prosecution and defence presenting compelling arguments about procedural rights and justice for the victims.

President John Mahama of Ghana has reduced the number of ministries in the country from 30 to 23 as part of efforts to cut government spending.

This decision, issued via an executive order, was documented in a gazette dated January 9, just two days after Mahama’s inauguration.

Under the new arrangement, several ministries established during the tenure of Nana Akufo-Addo, the former president, have been dissolved. These include the ministries of information, sanitation and water resources, national security, railway development, parliamentary affairs, public enterprises, and chieftaincy and religious affairs.

To streamline governance, Mahama has retained essential ministries such as finance, health, interior, defence, and education, while creating new ones like energy and green transition, youth development and empowerment, and trade, agribusiness, and industry. Others include ministries dedicated to sports and recreation, communication and digital technology, works, housing and water resources, and gender, children and social protection.

Mahama, who previously led Ghana from 2012 to 2017, returned to office after defeating former Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia in the presidential election. He secured 6,328,397 votes, amounting to 56.55% of the total, while Bawumia received 4,657,304 votes, or 41.6%. Notably, Bawumia conceded defeat before the official results were declared.

This cost-cutting initiative by Mahama contrasts sharply with the approach of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who expanded Nigeria’s ministries from 44 to 48 in 2023. Tinubu’s decision has drawn significant criticism, especially as Nigeria grapples with a worsening cost-of-living crisis.