Fifty students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) were arraigned on Friday at a magistrate court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, for arson and destruction of properties.
The peaceful campus of the institution and the adjoining communities had slipped into chaos last Thursday when a peaceful protest by the students turned violent.
At least five persons – two students and three police officers, were said to have been injured when a detachment of policemen drafted to contain the highly incensed students, clashed with them.
For over five hours, the students took to the Alabata road and Abeokuta – Ibadan road and helped by people suspected to be street urchins and miscreants, they set ablaze nine vehicles, vandalized scores of others in their trail.
The church where FUNAAB Vice – Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole is the founder and General Overseer, and located few metres away from the Headquarters of the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force(NPF), was not spared of the students’ wrath.
The church’s window panes, doors and properties were vandalized. Worshippers’ and visitors’ vehicles packed at the premises of the church were also damaged.
On Friday, the Police arraigned 50 persons in connection with the chaos and destruction. While 43 of the accused persons were charged in suit number, MA/429c/2016, the other seven were charged in a separate case with charge number, MA/430c/2016.
But the offences for which they were all arraigned however remained the same.
The Students who were ferried to the court in many Police vehicles were charged with arson, taking part in an unlawful assembly, riot and malicious damage of properties including a Toyota Camry Saloon Car belonging to one Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ariyo Adejuwon.
They were also accused of “willfully and unlawfully set fire to Osiele Police Station, property of Nigeria Police Force” and “willfully and unlawfully destroyed or damaged louvers property of Divine Height Bible Church Kotopo, Abeokuta.”
The Police prosecutors, Sunday Eigbejiale and Emmanuel Kayode informed the court that the offences were committed at Camp Area of Abeokuta in the Abeokuta Magistrate District.
They also told the court that the offences are punishable under section 516(a), 443(a), 70, 71 and 451 of Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.
The accused persons however pleaded not guilty to the offences.
Bunmi Adelabu, one of the counsel, applied for their bail before Magistrate Sofowora Oriyomi, arguing that the accused persons are presumed innocent until otherwise proven by the court.
The prosecutors opposed the bail applications.
Delivering her ruling on the application, Magistrate Sofowora admitted the accused persons to bail with N100, 000 each with two sureties in the like sum.
One of the sureties, according to the Court, must be a guardian or parent of the accused person, resident in Abeokuta, depose to affidavit of means while each of them must be a regular tax payers with evidence of tax payment in the last one year.
Magistrate Sofowora also ruled that two passport-size photograph each of the sureties and the accused person be attached to the bail bond while the addresses of the sureties should be verified by the court ordeal.
The case was however adjourned till September 29.
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