Twelve out of the twenty-five students from Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, facing charges of conspiracy, murder, and negligence, were discharged today at the Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the students were arraigned on June 5, following allegations related to the death of 22-year-old Jefry Akro, a fellow student at the university.
The charges stemmed from an incident on May 24, where the defendants were accused of causing Akro’s death through physical assault using planks and electrical wire.
Meteor had reported the arraignment of the students and some university workers before Chief Magistrate Mrs. Olabisi Ogunkanmi ordered the students’ remanded in a correctional facility pending legal advice.
Today, after reviewing the legal advice, she discharged twelve of the accused students, citing insufficient evidence linking them to the alleged offences.
The discharged students included: Kehinde Martins, Samuel Okorie, Mustapha Khalid, Yusuf Adeniran, Joseph Areoye, Iyanuoluwa Oyelakin, Obaloluwa Olalekan, Emmanuel Adejumobi, John Daudu, Moses Abiola, Hammad Tijani, and David Kolawole.
Additionally, Femi Oladoye, a security guard at the university also implicated in the incident for negligence of duty, was granted bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties.
The case has been adjourned until July 8 for further mention, as the court continues to deliberate on the culpability of the remaining defendants.
The Prosecutor, CSP Funke Fawole, had earlier detailed the allegations, stating that the accused students had committed the offences on the university premises, violating sections 516, 515, and 324 of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The student was reportedly beaten to death by his colleagues over a phone theft incident.
Addressing journalists at the university’s Council Chamber on three days later, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Timothy Adebayo, said the school had learnt its lesson the “hard way”.
ProfessorAdebayo, said the university had declared a three-day mourning period for three days.
He added that the period would also sessions of prayer and fasting each night.
“I sympathise with the family. We don’t pray for such to happen. We are sad about the development,” he said.
The VC who said he had wept for two days following the incident said he almost couldn’t muster the strength to address the conference.
“As the vice-chancellor, I wept throughout Sunday and Monday. Even while conveying the message to the staff, I wept. I didn’t know I would be able to address this press conference,” he said.
“We have learned our lessons in a hard way. There is no sign of cultism and bullying here. We always ask our students not to stay alone and in obscure places.
“We will keep on beefing up security in our hostels and work on every other aspect of observed inadequacies.”
