Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, has suspended two of the three students facing disciplinary actions for protesting hike in fees by the university.
The suspended students, Ayodele Aduwo and Mide Gbadegesin, said they were informed about their suspension when they faced a disciplinary committee on Monday, the third since the protest a year ago.
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Although a letter of suspension has not been issued to them, the students said the verdict of the meeting was verbally read to them on Monday —a suspension for four semesters.
While Mr Ayodele is a 400-level student of History, Mr Gbadegesin is a postgraduate degree student at the Institute of African Studies of the university.
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The third student facing disciplinary action, Nice Linus, had also dragged the school to court after it failed to inaugurate her as a member of the Students Representative Council (SRC) after she contested and won the position.
The university claimed her election was an oversight as she couldn’t have contested an election while facing a disciplinary action at the university.
Ms Linus and the school are still in court over her disqualification.
The Spokesperson for the University of Ibadan, Joke Akinpelu, said she is currently on an accumulated leave and could not provide specific information.
Mrs Akinpelu, however, noted that the university has its process and procedures and that the students were given fair hearing before their suspension.
“The University has its processes and procedures. Before the students were suspended, I am sure they were given fair hearing. They also have the opportunity to appeal to the University Council,” she said in a text message to our reporter.
Meanwhile, Rights groups Amnesty International Nigeria and the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) have condemned the university’s actions against the students, calling for the reversal.
Alleged Offence and subsequent trial
During the inauguration of the Students’ Union Executive Committee and Students’ Representative Council on 13 May, 2024, the three students held placards that read ‘FEE MUST FALL’ to protest a recent fee increment by the university.
The university had at the time increased the school fees from about N20,000 and N30,000 to about N203,000 to N412,000, according to the Student Union leadership at the time.
As they held the placards, the students were forcefully removed from the venue and taken to the security unit. One of the students Mr Gbádégẹṣin alleged they were assaulted in the process.
The students were then issued queries, accusing them of gross misconduct, being disruptive, and insubordination.
“We had our first invitation to appear at the panel on 2nd July, 2014,” Mr Gbádégẹṣin said.
The students appeared before the Student Disciplinary Committee on 30 June and 14 July.
It was during the last appears that the verdict was read out to the students.
Condemnations
In separate statements, Amnesty International Nigeria and CAPPA) condemned the university’s actions against the students, describing it as persecution.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, CAPPA accused the university of using authoritarian tactics to stifle legitimate dissent, further describing it as ‘shameful victimisation’ of the students.
It argued that the suspensions violate the constitutional rights to freedom of thought and expression, as guaranteed under Sections 38 and 39 of the Nigerian constitution.
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“Universities are meant to be sanctuaries of free inquiry and rigorous debate. They are spaces where new ideas should bloom and where students are trained to question, to challenge, and to imagine a better society.
“The despotic decision of the University of Ibadan against these young students is a direct betrayal of its mission to nurture independent minds,” parts of the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International said the decision of the university to suspend them for four semesters must be reversed.
In a statement posted on its X handle, Amnesty International Nigeria said: “No one should be punished for decrying the university’s fee hike during Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in a generation.”
It added that the three students had only exercised their right to peaceful protest and the university has a national and international obligation to respect the right to peaceful dissent.
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