Skip to main content

University Of Abuja Student Rusticated Over Planned Demonstration Against Tuition Fee Hike Sues School, Seeks Immediate Reinstatement, N50Million In Damages

FILE
June 6, 2023

Igwe was rusticated for calling for a meeting and demonstration against the recent hike in school fees.

An undergraduate student of the University of Abuja, Cyprian Igwe, who was recently rusticated by the school has sued its authorities at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Igwe was rusticated for calling for a meeting and demonstration against the recent hike in school fees.

 

Igwe had urged his colleagues in a message posted on its WhatsApp group to protest against the hike in school fees.

According to court documents obtained by SaharaReporters, Igwe is seeking the enforcement of his fundamental rights to personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement as guaranteed under Sections 35, 36 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and Articles 6,7& 12(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

 

 

In the suit filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Tope Temokun, the 1st to 8th respondents respectively are the University of Abuja; the Council, University of Abuja; the Senate, University of Abuja, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na'allah, Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja; Yahaya Mohammed, Registrar, University of Abuja; Alkasim Umar, Deputy Registrar, Academics, University of Abuja; Ibrahim Abdullahi Burga, Chief Security Officer, University of Abuja and Adamu Abubakar, OC Intelligence, University of Abuja.

In the suit filed on June 1, 2023, Igwe is seeking a declaration from the court that his arrest and detention at Intelligence Unit of the school from 9 am to 6 pm on Friday, May 26, 2023, by the 8th Respondent (Abubakar) “for no just cause and without committing any offence known to law, constitutes a gross violation of the Applicant's fundamental right to personal liberty”.

He is also seeking a declaration that the “failure, omission or refusal of the Respondents to hear the Applicant before rusticating him” from the school.

Among others, he is seeking an order setting aside his purported rustication for violating his fundamental rights to a fair hearing.

 

Igwe is also seeking an order “reinstating forthwith the Applicant as a bonafide student of the 1st Respondent (UNIABUJA) with all rights and privileges attached thereto.”

Also, he is asking the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondents, their agents and/or privies or anyone acting through them or on their instruction from further arresting or detaining him or “from further acting on the content of the letter or giving effect to or implementing the letter dated 26th May 2023 titled LETTER OF RUSTICATION”.

He has also asked the court to mandate and direct the “Respondents jointly and severally, to pay to the Applicant the sum of Fifty Million Naira (N50,000,000.00) only as general and exemplary damages for the violation” of his fundamental rights as afore-stated.

In the WhatsApp message Igwe was accused of typing, he had said, “Good evening, house. We will be having a meeting tomorrow by 6:00 pm in regards to school fees, let’s know our way forward. I am deeply in pain, many students can’t pay, I hope the SUG President is in this group. I need everyone’s ideas.

 

“I’d rather risk my life, my admission than seeing thousands of students drop out. If the spirit of Aluta lives in us, it has to wake up. Please be part of this meeting.”

Getting wind of the planned protest against the hike in school fees, the university authorities slammed Mr Igwe and one other student, Olamilekan Oladeru a “rustication letter” accusing them of circulating an "inciteful press release".

 

The letter dated May 26, 2023, was signed by the Deputy Registrar (Academic) on behalf of the Registrar of the school.

 

The letter reads, “You will recall that on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, an inciteful press release was made available to the public, purportedly signed by the Student Union Government’s President and Speaker.

 

 

 

“Preliminary investigations revealed that you and Oladeru Samson Olamilekan (18291126) facilitated and circulated the information.

 

“Your actions are capable of jeopardising the peaceful and smooth conduct of academic activities in the university and a breach of the University Matriculation Oath.

 

"By the powers conferred on the Vice-Chancellor as contained in the University of Abuja Act, he, on behalf of the Senate, has directed your immediate rustication from the university.

 

“Accordingly, you are banned from all university campuses pending the determination of the case."

 

Announcing his rustication, Igwe wrote, “Today, I was rusticated from the University of Abuja because of my post on my SUG WhatsApp group.

“If the poor can’t go to school, we don’t have the education we deserve. #HumanRightsDefenders #uniabuja #humanitarian #NoToUniabujaSchoolFeesHike #poorhaverighttoeducation.”