Court Grants OAU NASU Chairman Bail After 2 Days In Prison For Beating Up Professor

The Workers of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Thursday went into wild jubilation over the release of Comrade Oluwole Odewumi, the Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of the University on bail after spending two days in the prisons of Ile-Ife.

Odewumi was arraigned on Tuesday by an Ile-Ife Magistrate’s Court in Osun state for allegedly beating up one of the professors in the university, Gbenga Alebiowu

The Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Sunday Osanyintuyi had informed the court that Oluwole Odewumi, 56, committed the offence on February 21, 2018 around 04:35 pm at Post graduate College, Obafemi Awolowo University, campus, Ile-Ife.

Osanyintuyi said that the accused person unlawfully assaulted one Prof Gbenga Alebiowu by beating him up.

He added that the accused conducted himself in a manner that caused the breach of peace by storming where Prof Alebiowu was sitting down and scattered his table.

According to him, the offence contravened sections 249 (d) and 351 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun, 2002.
The Defence Counsel, Mr Ben Adirieje, applied for the bail of the accused in most liberal term pledging that Odewumi would not abuse bail, but would produce reliable sureties.

Magistrate Ishola Omisade did not grant the accused person bail on Tuesday, but asked his defence counsel to come by way of written application.

Omisade ordered that the union leader be remanded in Ile-Ife prison custody pending the consideration of his bail.

The case was adjourned till Thursday for consideration of his bail
On Thursday, Magistrate Omisade granted Odewumi bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like amount after his counsel had furnished the court with a formal bail application.

Omisade said that the sureties must swear to affidavit of means, reside within the court jurisdiction and must be civil servants not lower than Grade/level 10.

He adjourned the case until April 5 for hearing.

Meanwhile, Mr Olamide Ajagbe, the Secretary to NASU chairman, while speaking on phone expressed his gladness for the release of the NASU chairman after two nights in custody.

Ajagbe said, “The joint unions of the University which comprises of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) were hapoy over his release.”

According to him, NASU had complied with the directive of the Court that they should maintain peaceful coexistence on campus during and after the trial of the case.

The secretary pledged that the workers would give peace a chance and maintain decorum on campus.