By: Idara Aloysius
Suspended anti-fee hike protesters of the University of Ibadan, Aduwo Ayodele and Mide Gbadegesin, as well as Nice Linus, a 400 level Law student have taken their case against the institution to court, with the hearing scheduled to hold on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Federal High Court, Ibadan.
These students, popularly referred to as UI3 have decried the verdict delivered by the University’s Disciplinary Committee following their peaceful protest against the recent hike in school fees.
Their protest, which involved silently holding placards bearing the inscription #FeesMustFall during the Students’ Union inauguration, was described as an act of gross misconduct by the Disciplinary Committee, leading to a four-semester suspension approved by the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, prof. Kayode Adebowale
The UI’3 alleged the university’s decision as an unjust and an act of victimization. They have further taken the case before the Federal High Court to seek redress over what they described as a violation of their rights to peaceful protest and expression.
Speaking to Aduwo, one of the UI’3, he said “Yes, the year-long victimisation and suspension decision is in court. The UI management and the Governing Council, through their anti-student position, jointly share the unrepentant belief that holding a cardboard, with the inscription #FEESMUSTFALL, at a Students’ Union inauguration event is a sin and a grave one.
It is worth restating that the matter at hand is firmly rooted in the agitation of students over basic welfare. Potentially, this court development aims to demystify the UI management’s impotent repression style, particularly targeted at students who are consistent and clear against accepting impoverishing neoliberal policies on campus.
Students, whether as staylites or the other thousands of revolutionaries across subsequent generations, must never be distracted. The agitation remains that education should be affordable, accessible and qualitative. With more inconvenient fees and unconscionable policies on its way, we must not relent with using our natural right of expression to demand for aggregate concerns like responsible leadership, independent unionism, democratic management of the university, general end to students victimisation, accountability of all received funds and resources by the management, among other important demands.
On the future of this court case, the arch of the universe may be long, but it will always bend towards justice.”
