With the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Ogunseyi in prison over the Yuletide holidays, it is difficult not to comprehend the wickedness of the Nigerian state.

She is in prison on account of charges relating to the death of 32 children who died at a Funfair event she organised as part of her regular giveaways for children and the less privileged. The fair is something she has hosted over the years to lift the Yuletide mood of the less privileged in her vicinity.

Unfortunately, the good she planned turned into a tragedy. The calamity arose from the stampede as more than expected turned out for the event.

Also in custody is Oriyomi Hamzat, owner of Agidigbo Radio who had apparently thrown support for the event by helping to create awareness for the programme.

First, it is saddening for the families of the 32 deceased persons who lost their lives in the stampede. They will have to do without their loved ones, not just this Yelutide, but forever on this side of eternity.

One can only pray that God will comfort them over the irreparable loss. Many of them obviously would still be grieving and may care less over the fate of Queen Naomi. It is quite understandable.

However, for many who are emotionally or otherwise far away from the tragedy, the resonance of state failure in another segment of life is what many can see. They can comprehend the modern phraseology of the failure of the Nigerian state, to wit, that Nigeria has happened to Naomi.

Ms Naomi had over time organised the funfair as part of her way of giving back to society. The 2023 funfair according to the video seen by your correspondent was filled with laughter and merriment as attendees basked in the temporal joy offered them by an individual in the face of the grinning difficulties in the land.

With the difficulties of 2023 more than doubled in 2024, it was quite understandable that more people sought to benefit from Naomi’s goodwill.

Many Nigerians it will be said are in the practice of showing goodwill to the less privileged, especially at this season of demonstrating the love of God. Many do it out of the conviction of the inner spirit.

It is not surprising that many, however, have not been hearing of the annual funfair organised by Naomi. That is because, unlike many political actors who have seized the public space, she does not spend twice the amount spent on palliatives on publicity of the events.

Her only publicity was the announcement through Radio Agidigbo.

However, the political class has been quick to take advantage of the deadly stampede by putting the blame for their collective failure on Queen Naomi.

Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria establishes that the primary purpose of the government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people.

The question then is, has the government lived up to its responsibility of providing for the security and welfare of its citizens? It is no brainer that it is the failure of the government to provide for the welfare of its citizens as manifested by the poverty in the land that caused many Nigerians to take such risks that caused the stampede in Ibadan.

By some accounts, mothers passed their children over the barriers even after the venue of the funfair was saturated.

Even after the news of the stampede deaths in Ibadan, many Nigerians were not deterred as they took similar risks in Abuja and Okija. 

Even more ludicrous is the fact that Ms Naomi is being charged for failing to provide for security.

The charge is particularly ludicrous in a country where the provision of security is the principal duty of the state as enacted in Section 14. So, how can a citizen be charged for failing to carry out the responsibility of the state?

Your correspondent believes that the government has been quick to charge Naomi with murder in a way to make her a scapegoat for its failures.

Last February the Nigerian Customs sold out confiscated rice at a discount price of N10,000 per 25kg bag. The throng for the rice at a time when 50 kg bag of rice was selling at N100,000 led to a stampede that caused the death of at least five persons.

However, till date no one has been charged for the murder of the five persons mainly because the sale was organised by the government.

Different tiers of government have regularly violated the rights of Nigerians leading to death but officials walk away.

It is as such saddening that when an individual like Naomi attempted to play the role abandoned by the government that she has now been put into the dudgeon on account of an avoidable tragedy.

It is doubtful that the families of the deceased would be interested in a case against Naomi. Those interested are those who failed in their responsibilities of providing the welfare and security as required of them by the Constitution. In that failure, they have now made the Queen of our hearts, Naomi the scapegoat.