UI Suspends Two Students for Four Semesters Over Protest Against School Fee Hike

The University of Ibadan (UI) has handed a four-semester suspension each to Ayodele Aduwo and Mide Gbadegesin, two students who peacefully protested the institution’s hike in tuition fees in 2024.

According to documents obtained by the newsmen, the students were sanctioned by the University’s Central Students Disciplinary Committee (SDC) after being summoned for two separate hearings. Both students claim the process appeared predetermined, with the SDC simply formalising a decision it had already made.

Gbadegesin, a 700-level postgraduate student of African Studies, and Aduwo, a 400-level undergraduate in the Department of History, had participated in a peaceful demonstration during the inauguration of the UI Students’ Union executives. A video seen by FIJ shows them and another student activist, Nice Linus, holding placards without any signs of violence.

Despite the nonviolent nature of the protest, the students said they faced harassment from university authorities. Security operatives from the “Operation Burst” unit arrested them during the protest, reportedly acting on misinformation from the university management that described the situation as a cult clash. The outfit would later recant after reviewing video evidence.

In a separate incident, Aduwo was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Iyaganku, Ibadan, after he was accused of defying a campus evacuation order issued by the university.

While Linus did not receive a formal summons from the SDC, the university revoked her position in the Students’ Union government. As of the time of this report, she has not faced any official disciplinary verdict.

Students and activists have criticised the university’s actions, calling them a crackdown on legitimate dissent and student activism. The suspensions have also sparked conversations about freedom of expression within academic spaces and the growing intolerance for peaceful student protests in Nigerian institutions.