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UNICAL students sue university, Tinubu for N5bn over law faculty removal
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

UNICAL students sue university, Tinubu for N5bn over law faculty removal

From Premium Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Over 200 University of Calabar students are suing the institution and President Bola Tinubu for N5 billion.
  • The students claim their removal from the Faculty of Law and transfer to previous departments violates their admission contracts.
  • The university stated that only 221 of 435 second-year law students were officially admitted, and the others risked ineligibility for law school.

More than 200 students at the University of Calabar are demanding 5 billion naira (approximately $3.4 million) in damages from the university and President Bola Tinubu. They are challenging their removal from the Faculty of Law and subsequent transfer back to their original departments.

valid, binding, and subsisting legal contracts

— Students (in lawsuit)The students argued that their admission letters, fee payments, course registration, examinations, and JAMB regularization created binding legal contracts with the university.

The students argue that their admission letters, fee payments, course registrations, and JAMB regularizations created binding contracts with the university. They contend that the current Vice-Chancellor, Offiong Offiong, cannot invalidate commitments made by his predecessor.

could not invalidate the official acts, admissions, JAMB regularisation approvals, and institutional commitments made by his predecessor-in-office to the detriment of the Claimants.

— Students (in lawsuit)The students argued that the current Vice-Chancellor could not invalidate commitments made by his predecessor.

The dispute began this month when the university directed 214 second-year law students to return to their previous faculties. The university explained that only 221 of the 435 second-year law students were officially admitted into the law program. The remaining 214 students had entered the faculty from other departments and were at risk of being ineligible for the Nigerian Law School if they remained under their current admission status.

only 221 of the 435 students in the second year of the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) programmes were officially admitted into Law. In comparison, the other 214 students had entered the faculty from other departments.

— Vice-Chancellor Offiong OffiongThe university's vice-chancellor stated the official number of admitted law students and explained the situation of the other students.

While the university offered to refund fees or provide free tuition for the next academic year in their original departments, the affected students filed the lawsuit. They claim to have paid fees, attended lectures, completed assignments, and passed examinations for up to three academic years, with some progressing to the 300 level. They also stated they underwent the required JAMB regularization process after paying associated fees.

the affected students would not be eligible for the Nigerian Law School if they remained in Law under their current admission status.

— University of CalabarThe university explained the consequence for the students if they remained in the law faculty under their current admission status.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Premium Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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