Justice Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court in Oyo State has quashed the University of Ibadan's suspension of student activists Ayodele Aduwo and Mide Gbadegesin, restoring them to their studies. The court also barred the university from further harassing Nice Linus, who had been blocked from taking her seat on the Student Representative Council despite winning election. The trio were attacked by soldiers during a 13 May 2024 protest against fee increases and later subjected to disciplinary action; Aduwo and Gbadegesin were suspended for four semesters, while Linus faced ongoing obstruction. In her 15 April 2026 judgment, the judge held that the university failed to refute the students' account of being beaten and labelled cultists, and declared all punitive measures against them unlawful.
The ruling confirms that Nigerian students can lawfully protest fee hikes without forfeiting their academic place, a precedent every Students' Union should cite before mobilising. With public universities again reviewing charges amid dwindly subsidies, this judgment warns vice-chancellors that disciplinary panels cannot be weaponised to silence dissent. Campus activists should document every threat or assault, then approach the Federal High Court promptly; the UI trio won because they preserved evidence and sued within two years.
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