Court orders UI to recall students suspended over protest

The Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, lifted the four-semester suspension slammed on three students by the University of Ibadan for their involvement in a protest against a hike in school fees in May 2024.

The court ruled that the university’s disciplinary process, which led to the students’ suspension last year, violated their constitutional right to a fair hearing.

Delivering judgement on Wednesday, the judge Nkeonye Maha, held that the decision of the university’s Central Student Disciplinary Committee were fundamentally flawed and could not stand in law.

The affected student are Aduwo Ayodele, Gbadegesin Olamide Iyanuoluwa and Linus Nice Adaoma.

They had approached the court to challenge their suspension, which they described as punishment for participating in a peaceful protest against what they called “prohibitive” tuition increases.

In her ruling, Mrs Maha set aside the disciplinary decisions, declaring the proceedings null and void.

She ordered their immediate reinstatement and the restoration of all their rights and privileges as students, including attending lectures, sitting for examinations, and participating in student union activities.

The court also restrained the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier University, and its agents from taking any further disciplinary steps against the students in relation to the protest.

Mrs Maha held that the disciplinary panel failed to establish that the students disrupted any event, adding that the process violated the principles of natural justice.

She noted that the university did not dispute that the students were arrested during the incident, but stressed that only law enforcement agencies have statutory powers of arrest and not university security personnel.

The judge further criticised the composition of the disciplinary committee, noting that an individual who had earlier petitioned against the students sat on the panel that recommended their sanctions, without appearing to defend the allegations he made.

According to her, while universities have the power to discipline students, such powers must be exercised strictly in line with due process and without bias.

She added that the failure to afford the students fair hearing rendered the entire disciplinary process invalid.

The court also referenced the position of the Students’ Union, which had condemned the sanctions and described them as victimisation of students for exercising their right to protest.

However, the court declined the students’ request for N20 million in general damages and N5 million in exemplary damages against the Vice-Chancellor, Kayode Adebowale, holding that the claims were not sufficiently justified in the circumstances.

The applicants had asked the court to nullify their suspension and order their reinstatement, arguing that they were punished for exercising their right to peaceful protest during a university event held on 13 May 2024, at Trenchard Hall.

They said they only displayed placards calling for a reversal of the fee hike and did not disrupt proceedings, but were allegedly removed by security personnel, assaulted, and later handed over to security operatives who profiled them as suspected cultists.

According to court filings, they were taken to a military facility in Agodi, Ibadan, where they were later released after officers expressed surprise at the situation.

Despite their release, the university proceeded with disciplinary action, issuing queries and eventually convening both the Student Disciplinary Committee and the Central Student Disciplinary Committee, which recommended rustication for two of the students.

The students argued that the proceedings were biased, alleging they were denied the opportunity to present video evidence, call witnesses, or cross-examine those who testified against them.

They also claimed the panel was hostile, lacked studa ent representation, and failed to meet basic standards of fairness.

The sanctions, approved by the university, resulted in their rustication for four semesters, during which they were barred from attending lectures and sitting examinations.

The applicants told the court the punishment was excessive and disproportionate, especially as their actions amounted to peaceful expression of concern over rising tuition fees.

They also alleged ongoing intimidation and surveillance following the incident.

In their prayers, the students asked the court to declare the disciplinary process unconstitutional, set aside the sanctions, and restrain the university from taking further action against them.

They also sought N20 million in damages for alleged violations of their fundamental rights.

The university, however, maintained that due process was followed, insisting that the students were given fair hearing and the opportunity to appeal the decision.

Background

The case stemmed from disciplinary actions taken by the University of Ibadan against the three students for participating in a protest on 14 May 2024 against a tuition hike.

The protest was said to have taken place during an event on campus.

At the event, the three students quietly displayed placards with the inscription “Fees Must Fall,” in protest against a sharp increase in school fees announced by the university.

At the time, student leaders said the fees were raised from about N20,000 and N30,000 to about N203,000 to N412,000, a development that triggered widespread concern among students.

According to the claimants, the protest was brief and non-violent, but it quickly escalated when security officials forcefully removed them from the venue and took them to the university’s security unit. Mr Gbadegesin alleged that they were assaulted in the process.

The university subsequently issued queries to the students, accusing them of gross misconduct, disruptive behaviour and insubordination. They were invited to appear before the Student Disciplinary Committee on multiple occasions.

After the proceedings, the university found Mr Ayodele, a 400-level History student, and Mr Gbadegesin, a postgraduate student at the Institute of African Studies, guilty of misconduct. At its meeting on 14 July 2025, the Central Student Disciplinary Committee recommended their rustication for four semesters, a decision later approved by the Vice-Chancellor.

The decision, conveyed in a letter signed by a senior deputy registrar, stated that the rustication would take effect from the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic session and run until the end of the first semester of the 2026/2027 academic session. The affected students were also directed to sign undertakings of good behaviour and undergo counselling.

Ms Linus, the third claimant, is separately challenging the university after it declined to inaugurate her as a member of the Students’ Representative Council despite her electoral victory. The university said her participation in the election was invalid because she was already facing disciplinary proceedings. That matter is also before the court.

The claimants argue that the sanctions imposed on them were excessive and designed to silence dissent, insisting that their actions amounted to a lawful exercise of their right to peaceful expression.

The university, however, maintains that due process was followed. Its officials say the students were given a fair hearing and had the opportunity to appeal the decision.

The institution has also insisted that the four-semester rustication remains in force, describing the students’ conduct during the ceremony as unruly.

The case has drawn criticism from civil society groups, including Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and the Education Rights Campaign, which say the sanctions violate the students’ constitutional rights and have called for their immediate reinstatement.

The Media and Communications Officer of CAPPA, Robert Egbe, 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 read.

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.

Group hails judgement

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) commended the judiciary for lifting the suspension of the student activists.

In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, the organisation, which has stood by the students from the outset of their travails, urged the university to immediately comply with the court’s judgement by recalling the affected students. It also called on the management to issue a full, unreserved apology to the trio.

CAPPA said the ruling affirms students’ constitutional rights to freedom of thought and expression as guaranteed under Sections 38 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“The court’s decision sends an unequivocal message to the University of Ibadan and other institutions that the use of authoritarian tactics to stifle legitimate dissent is unlawful and will not stand,” CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, said.

She urged the university to reflect on the development and recommit to its core mandate of fostering critical thinking and nurturing independent minds.

The organisation also expressed satisfaction with its role in supporting the students, noting that it had amplified their voices and facilitated legal assistance throughout the process. It pledged to continue supporting students across the country in defending their constitutional rights.

Ms Ibeh described the case as part of a broader pattern of shrinking civic space within Nigerian higher institutions, warning that punishing students for peaceful protest undermines democratic values.

She added that policies affecting students, including fee hikes, should be subjected to transparent and participatory processes that take into account the socio-economic realities of students and their families.

CAPPA further noted that chronic underfunding of the education sector has continued to shift the burden onto students, warning that such conditions would likely sustain protests if not addressed.