By Ridwanullah Sakariyah
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has asked the University of Ibadan (UI) to immediately reinstate three student activists after a court ruling voided their suspension.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the group said the decision of the Federal High Court in Ibadan had settled the matter and must be obeyed without delay. It also called for a public apology to the affected students.
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The statement read, “CAPPA demanded that the varsity immediately comply with the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court, Ibadan, reinstate the students and tender a full, unreserved apology to the trio for its deplorable conduct.”
The case centres on Ayodele Aduwo, Mide Gbadegesin, and Nice Linus, who protested against a fee hike during a student event in 2024. The court, presided over by N. E. Maha, found that their treatment by the university authorities breached their rights.
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It added, “Justice N. E. Maha, who delivered the judgment on Wednesday, referenced the students’ testimony that they were dragged out of the hall by the university’s internal security and handed them over to a waiting mob who beat them to a stupor… the university authorities ‘did not deny these damning allegations.’”
Reacting to the ruling, CAPPA said the judgment should serve as a warning to other institutions.
Zikora Ibeh, the group’s Assistant Executive Director, said, “The court’s decision sends an unequivocal message… that tyranny and the use of authoritarian tactics to stifle legitimate dissent is unlawful, unacceptable, and will not stand.”
The organisation traced the dispute to May 13, 2024, when the students displayed placards reading “No To Fee Hike” and “#FEESMUSTFALL” during a Students’ Union inauguration.
The statement read, “The trio testified that they were forcibly removed from the venue by school authorities, physically assaulted… and subjected to disciplinary proceedings that led to the suspension of Ayodele and Gbadegesin for four semesters.”
CAPPA described the incident as part of a wider pattern in Nigerian universities, where student protests are often met with harsh measures.
The statement said, “When administrations resort to suspensions, rustications, and intimidation, they turn campuses into zones of fear rather than forums of debate. This is dangerous and unacceptable.”
The group also warned that such actions threaten democratic values within academic spaces.
Ibeh said, “When students are punished for peaceful protest, the message is that lawful dissent will not be tolerated.”
CAPPA added that it would continue to support students facing similar treatment across the country and urged universities to adopt more open and inclusive decision-making processes.
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