Court rejects ‘attempted murder’ charges against five MAPOLY students, 15 others

Efosa Taiwo & Taiwo Kafilat

An Ogun State Magistrate Court sitting at Isabo in Abeokuta area of the state has rejected the charges brought by the state Police against five MAPOLY students and 15 others.

The Magistrate, Abiodun Adelaja objected the charge ‘Attempted Murder’, asking the police to refile the case.

PRESS CLUB MAPOLY gathered that the Magistrate insisted that the count charge must be change before the court can hear the case.

It would be recalled that the students of MAPOLY took to the streets yesterday to continue their one week protest tagged ‘Black Week’ of which several people got injured as the school’s Chief Security Officer vehicle allegedly sped into several students and police arrested twenty individuals of which they claimed were students of the institution.

Findings however revealed that fifteen of the twenty individuals arrested were not student of the MAPOLY.

An eyewitness who was in court told PRESS CLUB MAPOLY that among the fifteen of the non-students were pedestrians, apprentice and even a corps member who was droning an NYSC crested cloth.

His words, "I was in court this morning when they were brought to court. Funny enough, most of those paraded were not even students. They were passersby, apprentice and even a Corper with NYSC crested cloth was among."

He further added that the police goofed with charges brought against the persons, noting that the case was dismissed.

"The POLICE goofed with the charges brought against the persons arrested read ‘attempted murder’. The court frowned at such mischief and they had to take them back to the Police station to prepare another charge. The case never went on."

Also speaking on behalf of the students, the Director of Communication and Media Publicity for the National Association of Nigerian Students, Ogun State axis, Olasunkanmi Akinlotan debunked the claim by the Police to have arrested 20 MAPOLY students.

Akinlotan added that only five of the people arrested were students of the institution.