Ibadan funfair tragedy: Old students ask police to release detained school principal

By Suleiman Shehu

Old students of Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan, the venue of the funfair tragedy that claimed lives of many children have asked the police to release the school principal, Mr Abdullah Fasasi who was arrested over the incident on administrative bail.

The Oyo State Police Command had on Wednesday announced the arrest over the tragic incident which claimed 35 lives of mostly children.

Fasasi was among those detained over the incident.

But while speaking to journalists on Friday in Ibadan, the National President of the Islamic High School Old Students Association, Mr Bayo Busari, demanded the release of the principal by the police.

Busari, who commended the police for bringing the situation under control and commencing investigations, said the association was neither averse to police investigation nor willing to obstruct it.

He also dismissed the claim that the principal gave approval for the use of the school for the ill fated funfair.

He said the association is concerned about the false public narrative that the school principal approved the use of the school facility for the programme.

The supposed approval from the principal, he said, formed the basis of his arrest by the police.

“The narrative is not true; the Oyo State Ministry of Education gave the approval for the use of the school facility to Agidigbo FM since 2023, and it has been using it for its programme since then.

“The information we have is that some days before the incident, Agidigbo FM approached the principal, informing him that the school facility would be used for the programme, and the principal advised Agidigbo to approach the ministry to get approval and make the necessary payment.

“The usual practice is that once approval has been requested, payment would be made, and they will just come to the school with the evidence of payment, which is proof that authorises the use of the school premises.

“Approval may not come three days or even weeks after the programme would have been held.

“In this instance, the school had the proof that the organiser had made payment to the government, and as usual practice, the principal cannot stop them from using the premises,” Busari said.

Busari said the alumni were surprised that a director in charge of schools at the Ministry of Education would address the press that the ministry knew nothing about the programme.

He wondered why the police detained the principal, while he was neither the organiser nor the person who approved the school facility for use.

“Our demand is that the principal be released, and we are ready to have him released on administrative bail.

“We will stand as surety for him,” the president said.

(NAN)