- By Halimah Olamide
Relief came the way of 12 students of the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, who were arrested and charged with the murder of one of their colleagues were on Monday freed.
They were among the total of 25 students who were arrested over the death of their colleague who was accused of stealing a phone.
The court said there was no significant evidence to link them with the death of the student, Ako 22 year old Jeffery Ako.
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.
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.
Ogunkanmi, who discharged the 12 students stated that the legal advice was out, indicating 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 at 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.