Court remands 62-year-old, others for attacking firm

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The authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, has suspended 23 workers of the institution for insubordination to the Governing Council of the institution.

Members of the three labour unions of the university – the Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists – have been at loggerheads with the the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, over alleged financial mismanagement.

Following a petition, the VC was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and was released, but members of the unions on the campus were not pleased. They consequently embarked on a series of protests, calling for the sacking of the VC.

However, on Thursday, the institution in a letter signed by the Registrar, Mrs. Modupe Ajayi, alleged that the sacked members of staff had been disturbing academic activities on the campus.

The letter gave the names of the affected workers as Dele Durojaye, Mike Opirijit, Remi Egunjobi, Bunmi Ayo -Alafe, Felix Adunbi, Obe Rotimi, Aladesuyi Ajoke, Philip Jayeoba, Akanji Justinah, Bayo Aladerotohun, Adefolarin Adesida and Ruth Bakare.

Other names on the letter included M.P. Faola, S. Arokoyu, J.S. Asante, Thomas Aina, Nelson Njoku, A.E. Omoraka, O.R. Bello, O.M. Fagbamiye-Akinwale and Mathew Fayiwole.

The letter read in part, “Your action amounts to wilful disobedience and act of insubordination to the Governing Council, which is tantamount to misconduct. In this regard, the portion of the letter under reference which states that, ‘Council will therefore take appropriate action to restore normalcy if the unions fail to comply with its directive,’ is hereby being effected.

“Consequent upon that, and in consonance with the university’s enabling law, I have been directed that you be put on suspension (on half pay) with effect from Monday, 28th November, 2016, pending the resolution of the matter.

“Accordingly, you are hereby suspended from the services of the university and placed on half pay with effect from 28th November, 2016. You are to hand over all university property in your custody to your Head of Department/Unit.

“In view of the foregoing, you are to stay away from the university campus until further notiA Tinubu Magistrate’s Court sitting on Lagos Island has ordered the remand of a 62-year-old man, Shafideen Bakare, and 13 other suspects in prison for allegedly invading an agro-allied firm in Ogombo town, in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The police identified Bakare’s accomplices as Tajudeen Bakare, Kolawole Amide, Lawal Olatunji, Kabiru Salami, Biodun Sanni, Saheed Quadri and Adeniyi Lamini.

Others are Femi Adeturinmo, Olaitan Adebayo, Abideen Olatunji, Olawole Goodluck, Azeez Jamiu and Saheed Azeez.

They were arraigned on three counts of trespass and engaging in conduct likely to cause breach of the peace before the court.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects on November stormed the firm, wielding cutlasses and knives. They allegedly wanted to claim the ownership of the land.

It was gathered that the firm alerted the police to the invasion and they were apprehended.

A police prosecutor, Inspector Philip Osijale, who brought them before the court on Tuesday, said the offences contravened sections 56 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, as well as no C47 (7) of the Lagos State Property Protection Law, 2016.

The charges read in part, “That you, Shafideen Bakare, Tajudeen Bakare, Kolawole Amide, Lawal Olatunji, Kabiru Salami, Biodun Sanni, Saheed Quadri, Adeniyi Lamini, Femi Adeturinmo, Olaitan Adebayo, Abideen Olatunji, Olawole Goodluck, Azeez Jamiu and Saheed Azeez, on November 14, 2016, at about 2pm, in Ogombo town, in the Eti-Osa LGA of Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did commit felony to wit; forcible entry.

“That you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did arm yourselves with cutlasses and other weapons, and cause fear and terror to members of Kasmal International Service Limited.”

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

Their counsel, Mr. Ebun- Olu Adegboruwa, prayed the court to grant them bail in liberal terms, noting that they were still presumed innocent under Section 36(5) of the Nigeria Constitution, 1999.

Osijale, who admitted that the offences were bailable, objected to the counsel’s plea on the grounds that the defendants’ conduct constituted a threat to the community.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. M.B. Folami, held that the defendants be remanded till December 29, 2016 – the next adjourned date.

“The court, hereby, grants the application of the prosecution and as such, bail for all the 14 defendants are hereby denied pending the next adjourned date when the court will allow same application to be made by the defence counsel,” Folami said.

However, one of the affected members and SSANU Chairman, Mr. Dele Durojaye, who is also the chairman of the university’s Joint Action Committee, said the three labour unions were not aware of any letter suspending any member of staff of the institution.

He said, “I just left the university after 4pm; there was no letter to such effect. What we noticed when we were leaving was the presence of policemen at the gates of the university. We are not aware of any letter.”

Source: Punch