Twelve out of the 25 students from Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, who were brought before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, for alleged murder, were discharged on Monday. On June 5, the students had been arraigned on charges of conspiracy, murder, and negligence.
Chief Magistrate Mrs. Olabisi Ogunkanmi initially ordered the students to be remanded in a correctional facility in Ibadan pending 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 stated that the legal advice indicated no evidence linking these students to the alleged offences, leading to their discharge.
One of the 25 defendants, Femi Oladoye, a security guard at the university, was earlier charged with negligence of duty and granted bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum. The case has been adjourned until July 8 for mention.
Earlier, the prosecutor, CSP Funke Fawole, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on May 24 at about 9 p.m. at the university. Fawole alleged that the defendants unlawfully caused the death of a 22-year-old student, Jefry Akro, by beating him with planks and electrical wires. She also accused Oladoye of failing to prevent the students from beating Akro to death. The offences are said to contravene Sections 516, 515, and 324 of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.