A series of
protest by workers and students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife,
Osun State, on Tuesday forced Justice David Oladimeji of an Osun State High
Court sitting in Ede to reverse a ruling he gave that an ex-Acting Vice
Chancellor of the university, Prof. Anthony Elujoba, be remanded in the Ilesa
Prison.
Following
the refusal of angry workers and students of the university to leave the court
premises despite the heavy presence of policemen, the judge reversed the
earlier order and ruled that Elujoba should be remanded in the custody of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Counsel for
the accused, Ibrahim Lawal, who came to announce the reversal to the
protesters, said the judge had also shifted the adjourned date from July 19 to
14 for ruling on bail application.
Elujoba and
bursar of the university, Aderonke Akeredolu, who are being prosecuted by the
EFCC for alleged corruption, were arraigned on Friday and the judge ruled that
the two accused persons should be remanded in the EFCC custody.
He adjourned
till Tuesday for ruling on their bail application.
At the
Tuesday sitting, the judge ordered that Elujoba should be remanded in prison.
The order
created pandemonium on the court premises.
The workers
and students blocked the road leading to the court with buses, while some of
them surrounded the court premises and vowed not to allow Elujoba to be taken
to the Ilesa Prison.
They also threatened to occupy the Ilesa
Prison if Elujoba was eventually taken there.
The
ex-acting vice chancellor is being prosecuted by the EFCC for alleged
corruption.
Elujoba was
said to have brought peace to the OAU by paying workers allowances totalling
over N1bn.
Elujoba
acted for less than a year after the turbulent tenure of the immediate past
substantive Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole, ended.
As the judge
rose after the second ruling, many workers burst into tears, while some
attacked a relation of Omole.
The
relation, an old man, identified as Pastor Odun Orioke, was attacked by the
angry workers who deflated the tyres of his vehicle. The pastor was rescued by
some armed policemen.
All the
workers and the students present demanded the unconditional release of Elujoba,
but nothing was said concerning the bursar.
They said
some enemies of progress of the university were using their influence to
persecute Elujoba, while those who allegedly stole the university funds with
impunity were left untouched.
The
protesters, who chanted anti-EFCC songs, accused the agency of shielding Omole,
who they said nine petitions bordering on corruption were written against.
One of them,
who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “While the EFCC refused to
investigate the petitions written against Omole by labour unions in OAU, the
anti-corruption agency was quick to arrest and arraign Elujoba who did not
steal one kobo of the university.”
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