Global Rights, the international advocacy group, has asked the University of Ibadan (UI) to reverse a purported decision to expel three students over a protest.
Earlier in February, the UI management was reported to have commenced an upward review of the fees for its fresh students.
The rates were said to have been hiked by up to 480 percent, prompting a protest from among the student population.
In May, three students identified as Olamide Gbadegeshin, Aduwo Ayodele, and Nice Linus were reported apprehended by army officers.
They were arrested while protesting the fee increase by the school management.
In a memo by the university, the students were accused of “gross misconduct” and carrying placards with “inflammatory messages”.
Claims surfaced, especially from among non-profit organisations, that plans were underway to expel the students.
In a statement, Global Rights acknowledged that the actions of the students “posed an inconvenience” to the management”.
It, however, added that the students had the right to peaceful protest as a “means of bringing about positive social change”.
“A university of the calibre of the University of Ibadan should not be averse to its students exercising this right,” the group said.
The rights group demanded that the expulsion or plans thereto be “immediately jettisoned” to allow the students to continue their studies.
They demanded that the security agents who arrested the students should “issue a swift and unreserved apology”.
Global Rights also urged the management of UI to employ new mechanisms to engage with students.
“We recognise that the University of Ibadan must maintain its educational standards and responsibilities to its tutors while navigating the harsh economic terrain,” it said.
“But surely, the university should understand why students will feel the need to protest a significant increase in tuition fees.”
It is not clear if the named UI students have been expelled or if there are plans to officially hand down such a sanction.
TheCable contacted Adejoke Akinpelu, UI’s media spokesperson, but she declined to comment on the controversy.
Keye Abiona, the university’s student affairs dean, is also yet to respond to TheCable’s enquiries on the matter as of this report.
The reaction from Global Rights comes after SERAP had threatened a lawsuit against UI over an alleged attempt to expel the students.
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