Various songs against alleged maladministration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State rented the air on Friday at an Ibadan Magistrates’ Court.
Arraigned before Magistrate A.A. Adebisi were the labour leaders arrested on Thursday for disrupting a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the state government at the House of Chiefs, Ibadan.
The labour leaders, led by the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Waheed Olojede, were led to the court by gun-wielding security operatives.
Journalists were prevented from moving close to the labour leaders but that did not stop them from singing anti-Ajimobi songs.
In solidarity, some workers joined them in singing solidarity songs.
Arraigned with Oloyede were Mr. Sikiru Bayo Titilola Sodo, Oseni Aderemi, Oparinde Kehinde, Falade Akinyele, Ogundeji Kofoworola and Adegbogun Titi.
They were arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on alleged assault on the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Olalekan Alli, destruction of property, disruption of stakeholders’ meeting, chasing out of participants from the venue of the programme, unlawful assembly and acts capable of breaching public peace.
According to the prosecutor, M. A Ojeah, the accused were alleged to have “destroyed chairs valued at N1 million; disturbed public peace; assaulted the SSG, Olalekan Alli and beat him with sticks, thereby causing him bodily harm; threatened the governor while holding meeting with stakeholders and assembled in an unlawful procession to the Oyo State Government Secretariat, carrying Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) banners and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 88”.
They, however, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
They were later granted bail.
