The Lagos chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council, has strongly criticised the continued disciplinary proceedings against three University of Ibadan students involved in a 2024 protest against tuition fee hikes.
The affected students—Olamide Gbadegeshin (Institute of African Studies), Aduwo Ayodele (History Department), and Nice Linus—are currently facing a disciplinary panel over their role in the protest, which reportedly disrupted the swearing-in ceremony of the Students’ Union executives for the 2023/2024 academic session.
A memo dated July 8, 2025, and signed by the university’s Deputy Registrar (Students), S. O. Oyewumi, summoned Ayodele to appear before the Central Student Disciplinary Committee on Monday, July 14, 2025.
The meeting is a continuation of investigations into alleged misconduct, including insubordination and obstruction of the swearing-in ceremony, the memo stated. It also warned that failure to attend could lead to further disciplinary action.
In a statement on Thursday, NANS JCC Lagos Public Relations Officer, Ridwan Ajayi, described the university’s actions as “a blatant assault on student unionism” and “a gross abuse of institutional authority.”
This latest summons — the third in a series of politically motivated persecutions — is part of a broader campaign of intimidation and suppression aimed at punishing these student leaders for opposing an unjust fee hike, Ajayi said.
He added that the disciplinary actions amount to criminalising constitutionally protected rights such as freedom of expression, association, and peaceful protest.
We declare, without fear or apology, that this clampdown will not succeed. It will only energise the growing student movement and expose the deeper issues within university leadership and their alliance with oppressive systems, he added.
NANS demanded the immediate withdrawal of all disciplinary charges and an end to what it called “administrative impunity” in Nigerian universities.
The controversy dates back to May 13, 2024, when the three students and others were detained by the Nigerian Army during the protest. In query letters dated May 27, the students were accused of “disrupting” university proceedings and displaying “gross misconduct.”
The incident also drew condemnation from Amnesty International Nigeria, which last year urged the university to stop the alleged victimisation of students for exercising their rights.
Amnesty International calls on the University of Ibadan to rescind plans to expel three students for protesting an outrageous fee hike that has already forced many out of school, the organisation said on X (formerly Twitter).
At the time, University of Ibadan’s Director of Publicity, Adejoke Akinpelu, urged the public to avoid sensationalising the issue, noting that the disciplinary panel had not yet submitted its final recommendations.