Court grants 12 suspected killers of Oyo undergraduate bail

The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on Friday, admitted the 12 suspected killers of an undergraduate student of Ajayi Crowther University, Jeffrey Akro to bail with sum of N5m and two sureties each in like sum and the case is adjourned till Friday, February 21, 2025.

The PUNCH reports that the suspects had pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge when the case was mentioned for hearing.

Their pleas and oral application were not taken during the last sitting.

Justice Ladiran Akintola, however, granted bail to the suspects with a sum of N5m while their parents will stand as surgeries.

The Court in its ruling ordered that, “Each of the 1st-12th defendant is hereby admitted to bail in the sum of N5m with two surgeries each one of whom must be a biological parent of the applicant/defendant.”

In a sideline, the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Delta State, and Counsel to the Prosecutor, Victor Otomiewo said, “The most important thing is the pronouncement and what every lawyer knows is that the granting of bail is not a declaration of innocence or acquittal.

“The re-trial has been adjourned till February 21, 2025. If we are unable to resolve the matter on that date, the trial will proceed accordingly.

“With the pronouncement of the Judge and his conduct of the trial so far, everybody will go home and see that Justice, real justice not abstract justice has been served.”

Also in his comment, Counsel to the 7th defendant, Wole Efunnuga said, “The Judge looked at the issue holistically and made it a point of duty to seek the opinion of the Prosecution counsel to ask if the decision is of the counsel.

“My learned counsel used his discretion, and the ruling represented the views of all the parties involved.”