By our Reporter
The Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State has discharged 12 out of the 25 students of the Ajayi Crowther University previously charged with the murder of their fellow student on Monday, July 1, 2024.
It must be recalled that the students were accused of beating Timileyin to death for allegedly stealing a mobile phone and were remanded in prison during the mentioned stage of the case.
Timileyin was beaten to death in a hostel called Shepherd Inn on the university premises. The beating reportedly lasted many hours.
The 12 students who were freed are identified as 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 at about 9 p.m. at the aforementioned 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 noted that Oladoye, as a security guard, however, failed to prevent the aggrieved students from beating Akro to death.
She said the offences contravened Sections 516, 515 and 324 of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.