The seven members of the Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) who were arrested on Thursday for allegedly disrupting a stakeholders’ meeting at the House of Chiefs were on Friday arraigned at the Ibadan Magistrate Court.
They were arraigned on a six-count charge of assault on the Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG), Mr. Ismail Ali; destruction of property, disruption of stakeholders’ meeting, chasing of participants, unlawful assembly and acts capable of breaching public peace.
The unionists were arrested after a brawl with government officials during the stakeholders’ meeting where issues concerning return of schools to religious organizations were to be discussed.
Those docked were – Mr. Sikiru Bayo Titilola Sodo, Mr. Waheed Olojede (NLC state Chairman), Oseni Aderemi, Oparinde Kehinde, Falade Akinyele, Ogundeji Kofoworola and Adegbogun Titi.
The labour leaders, however, received massive support from their colleagues who crowded the court area early in the morning to show solidarity.
But they were prevented by scores of armed policemen from entering the court premises.
As the court began sitting, their solidarity songs and anti government chants filled the court at regular intervals.
Arraigned In court 3 before Magistrate A.A. Adeniyi, the labour leaders pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges.
The magistrate granted them bail in the sum of N200,000 with a surety that possesses a national identity card or voter cards.
He also ordered the police to return the unionists’ phones to them and adjourned the case to June 24 for trial.