OAU Suspended Student Activists Threaten Legal Action

Students Activists recently suspended by the authority of Obafemi Awolowo University over what it termed criminal activities might result to legal action, as they threatened to drag the university to court if it failed to reinstate them unconditionally. Counsel to the students, Abiona Saheed, a Human Right lawyer from Alfred Adegoke Chambers in a letter directed to the university management demanded immediate reinstatement of the suspended students.

 

The letter dated 25th of October and made available to our reporter, argued that the suspension of the students amount to “flagrant violation of their fundamental rights as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

The letter also asserted that suspended Omole Ibukun, a final year student of department of Civil Engineering was not on campus as claimed by the management on the day of the alleged protest adding that he was in Osogbo for a private family engagement.

 

The letter also warned the university to reinstate the students or face court action.

 

“Take notice that in the event of your failure to accede to the provision of our demands, our client shall have no other option than to take all available democratic and legal actions to enforce his constitutionally entrenched right”.

 

Meanwhile, the university Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju in his response said the law firm cannot compel the university to undo what have been done.

 

It would be recall that OAU management suspended four students, Omole Ibukun, John Udeh, Babatunde Oluwalade and Jacob Grace for protesting against blackout on campus, which the institution tagged criminal activities pending police investigation.