Five students of Obafemi Awolowo University were on Thursday charged to court.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the students were handed over to the police by the university management on Wednesday. The school accused them of assaulting a university official.

Witnesses told this paper the students opposed the forced eviction of students from a female hostel, Moremi, on Wednesday.

The five students, Gbenga Olaniran, Oyedeji Samson, Olajide Adedamola, Jimoh Oladipupo and Adeniji John, were present at the Ife Magistrate Court during the trial.

Students and journalists were denied access to the court room by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police. The team led by Askme Moses said it was so instructed by the Area Commander (AC) of the police.

“The AC said no student or journalist should enter the court room,” Mr. Moses said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt from Opeyemi Oprah, the acting Students’ Union security officer present in court, that the arraigned students were granted bail. The bail terms for each of the students include N500,000 bond and provision of two sureties, who must be civil servants of level 11 and above as well as tax payers.

A counsel to the students, Barrister Philip, told PREMIUM TIMES the bail application was the first step before further court proceedings.

After the court sitting, students protested outside the court premises against the bail terms by raising placards and chanting songs.

Samuel Dunnex, a student and a member of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), stated that the bail conditions were too stringent.

“How do they expect the students to get N500,000,” he said.