In the aftermath of violent protests that rocked the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) this week, 50 students of the school on Friday appeared before a magistrate court in Abeokuta, Ogun state.
The 50 FUNAAB students were charged to court by the Nigeria Police Force for offences bordering on arson and destruction of properties.
A planned peaceful protest by the FUNAAB students had turned violent when policemen were drafted to the campus to stop the protest.
According to the Nation, at least five persons – two students and three police officers – sustained injuries in the ensuing clash.
The vexed students thereafter allegedly took to the streets where, with the help of persons suspected to be street urchins and miscreants, they set ablaze nine vehicles and vandalized many others.
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 also said to have been attacked.
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 students 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.
They were all however charged with the same offences: arson, taking part in an unlawful assembly, riot and malicious damage of properties including a Toyota Camry Salon Car belonging to one Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ariyo Adejuwon.
The 50 FUNAAB students were also said to have “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 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.
All the accused persons however pleaded not guilty to the offences.
The presiding Magistrate Sofowora admitted the 50 FUNAAB students to bail with N100, 000 each with two sureties in the like sum.