The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has admitted the 12 suspected killers of an undergraduate student of Ajayi Crowther University, Jeffrey Akro, to bail in the sum of N5 million and two sureties each in like sum, while the case is adjourned until Friday, 21 February 2025.

It would be recalled that the suspects had pleaded not guilty to a two-count when the case was mentioned for hearing at the same court in Awe, Oyo State.

Their plea and oral application for bail could not be taken during the last sitting, hence the adjournment until today.

However, Justice Ladiran Akintola, at the sitting on Friday, granted bail to the suspects in the sum of N5m while their parents will stand as sureties.

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

Speaking, the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Delta State, and Counsel to the Prosecutor, Chief 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 until 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.”

The Counsel to the seventh defendant, Barrister Wole Efunnuga, submitted, “The trial Judge did not just come up with granting bail; there are precedent conditions.

“The Judge looked at the issue holistically, and he made it a point of duty to seek the opinion of the Prosecution counsel to ask if the decision is in agreement with the counsel.

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

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