Nigeria’s premier university suspends students over fee hike protest
The management of University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, Nigeria’s Premier University has suspended two of the three students facing disciplinary actions for protesting hike in fees by the university.
Penpushing report that as at the time of filing this report the letter of suspension has not been issued to them, but the students sources said the verdict of the meeting was verbally read to them on Monday.
The affected students include, Ayodele Aduwo and Mide Gbadegesin ordered to stay away for four semesters, while they also informed that they were informed about their suspension when they faced a disciplinary committee on Monday, the third since the protest a year ago.
Penpushing further reports that while Ayodele is a 400-level student of History, Gbadegesin is a postgraduate degree student at the Institute of African Studies of the university, just as 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 management of the premier university claimed that Linus election was an oversight as she couldn’t have contested an election while facing a disciplinary action at the university.
Penpushing also reports that the Public Relations Officer of the university Joke Akinpelu, when contacted said she is currently on an accumulated leave and could not provide specific information.
The university spokesperson, however, pointed out 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.
Penpushing reports that 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.
The Students’ Union Executive Committee and Students’ Representative Council it is recalled durig the inauguration of the executives, on May 13, 2024, the three students held placards that read ‘FEE MUST FALL’ to protest a recent fee increment by the university.
Penpushing further reports that 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.
The students as they held the placards were forcefully removed from the venue and taken to the security unit, while one of them, Gbádégẹṣin alleged that they were assaulted in the process.
Penpushing reports that the students were then issued queries, accusing them of gross misconduct, being disruptive, and insubordination, while they had their first invitation to appear before the panel on July, 2, 2014.
Meanwhile, the students subsequently appeared before the Student Disciplinary Committee on June 30 and July 14, 2025, during which the verdict of the university was read out to them.
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