Court frees 12 Ajayi Crowther University students facing murder charge

Twelve out of the 25 students of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, brought before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan for alleged murder were on Monday discharged.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 25 students, arraigned on June 5, were charged with conspiracy, murder and negligence.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olabisi Ogunkanmi, had ordered the students to be remanded in a correctional facility in Ibadan, pending the outcome of legal advice.

The 12 discharged students are: 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.

Ogunkanmi, while discharging them, held that the legal advice was out, which indicated that the 12 students should not be charged with any offence, as there was no evidence linking any of them with the offences alleged to have been committed.

One of the 25 defendants, who is a security guard at the university, Femi Oladoye, earlier charged with negligence of duty, was also granted bail in the sum of N250,000, with two sureties in like sum.

Ogunkanmi, thereafter, adjourned the case till July 8 for mention.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, CSP Funke Fawole, had told the court that the defendants committed the offences on May 24 about 9 p.m. at the afore-mentioned university.

Fawole said that the defendants unlawfully caused the death of one 22-year-old Jefry Akro, a student of the university, by beating him with planks and electrical wire.

She said that Oladoye, as a security guard, however failed to prevent the aggrieved students from beating Akro to death.

She said that the offences contravened Sections 516, 515 and 324 of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000. (NAN).