OAU gives reasons for arrest and prosecution of students

Obafemi Awolowo University authorities have explained why the institution supported the arrest and prosecution of five students, who allegedly resisted forceful eviction of female students from their hostels.

Following their arrest on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, the five students, Gbenga Olaniran, Oyedeji Samson, Olajide Adedamola, Jimoh Oladipupo and Adeniji John, were arraigned at the Ife Magistrate Court on Thursday, March 22, 2018.

However, while civil groups and staff of the university condemned the school management for handing over its own students to the police for prosecution, the university management has explained the reasons it supported the arrest and prosecution of the students.

In a statement issued on Monday, March 26, the university authority denied the claims that the students were arrested and arraigned for protesting an alleged illegal eviction of students from their hostels.

The statement reads in part:

“On Wednesday, March 21, 2018, the Hall Warden and Porters at Moremi Hall (a Female Hostel) moved round the hostel and reminded students unlawfully occupying the hostel to move out.

“The students were complying when all of a sudden, some men came out of nowhere and forcefully moved the belongings of the female students back into the hostel on the ground that the university had no right to ask them to pack out,”

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“the men who assaulted the university staff were reported to the police and upon investigation, (the police) decided that they had a case to answer and consequently filed charges against them in the law court.

“It subsequently turned out that these men are students of the university who are not on any academic program and do not belong to the group exempted and accommodated in Akintola and ETF Halls as earlier pointed out, contrary to the rumours making the rounds, the students charged to court were not charged for protesting or for dissent.”

Meanwhile, the five students have been remanded in prison and the bail terms for each of them include N500,000 bond and provision of two sureties, who must be civil servants of level 11 and above and who are tax payers.