Fee Hike: University Of Ibadan Must Not Expel Three Student Activists Over Peaceful Protest, Says Amnesty Int'l

The Amnesty International has warned the authorities of the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State not to expel three student activists who participated in a protest against fee hike in the school. 

Amnesty, an international non-governmental human rights organisation, in a post on X platform (formerly Twitter) said the university plans to expel the three students for participating in the protest against the outrageous fee hike, which had forced many students to withdraw from the university.

“Amnesty International calls on the University of Ibadan @UniIbadan to rescind plans to expel 3 students for exercising their human right; by participating in a protest against the outrageous fee hike that has so far forced many students to withdraw from university education,” Amnesty said.

SaharaReporters had in late June reported that the  management of University of Ibadan invited the three student activists, Aduwo Ayodele, Olamide Gbadegesin lyanuoluwa and Nice Linus, for questioning over their participation in the protest against increment in fees at the school.

The invitation, signed by one Halimah O. Adeoye, stated that the students were invited to appear before the committee on jointly committed offenses on the allegation earlier leveled against them bothering on misconduct.

SaharaReporters in May reported that security operatives at the University arrested the three activists while protesting against the school fees increment. 

The university management had also issued letters of query to the student activists with the aim of expelling them. 

In April, SaharaReporters reported that the UI Students’ Union Executive Council, led by Samuel Samson Tobiloba, had condemned the hike in tuition by 750 per cent for new students.

The Council demanded that the increment should immediately be reverted to the status quo and requested a meeting with the university management towards resolving this issue.

The students’ union leadership made its position known following the reflection of the recent increment on the students’ portal.

In a special release, the union observed that the new fees range from N133,500 to N372,500, depending on the courses.