By UCJ UI Watchroom 2025/2026
CLAIM
A broadcast message circulating among University of Ibadan students claims that Oyekola David was found guilty of financial misappropriation and misconduct during his tenure as a senator of the University of Ilorin Students’ Union.
VERDICT
MISLEADING. Available evidence does not establish that Oyekola David was found guilty of financial misappropriation and misconduct. Although he faced allegations of financial misappropriation and admitted to allegations of breach of agreement and bending procedures. He also reportedly won a separate Students’ Union Court case, according to the lawyer who represented him and the Chief Justice who presided over the proceedings. However, UCJ UI could not independently examine a signed copy of the court’s judgment.
FULL CONTEXT
On Thursday, October 29, 2026, a message titled Part 1: Revelations About Apostle Oyekola David’s Record of Financial Misappropriation, Misconduct and Lack of Accountability circulated across various student groups at the University of Ibadan.
The message alleged that Oyekola had previously been accused of financial misappropriation and misconduct at the University of Ilorin, where he served as a senator in the Students’ Union.
It stated that “The little opportunity OYEKOLA was given to serve, he was allegedly accused, found guilty and suspended for Financial Misappropriation, which he admitted to.”
The message further questioned his character and suitability to contest in the University of Ibadan Students’ Union election while describing him as someone with a background of breaching the law and bending procedures. This allegation has generated questions about the circumstances surrounding the case and whether Oyekola was actually found guilty of financial misappropriation.
BACKGROUND
Before his admission to the University of Ibadan, Oyekola had obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Ilorin, where he studied History and International Studies in the Faculty of Arts.
During the 2021/2022 academic session, he served as one of the three senators representing the Faculty of Arts in the Students’ Union Senate Council under the Fasasi-led administration. He also served as the In-House Committee Secretary during the same tenure.
According to information obtained by UCJ UI, the University of Ilorin Independent Students’ Anti-Corruption Practices Commission received a complaint on March 31, 2023, from a student of the Department of History and International Studies. The complaint reportedly concerned allegations of breach of agreement and bending of procedures.
On April 19, 2023, UCJ Unilorin reported that Oyekola had been summoned by the commission on Friday, April 14, 2023 and admitted to the allegations while providing explanations for his actions. He was also expected to submit evidence relating to the explanations he gave.
However, according to an update published by UCJ Unilorin on April 27, 2023, Oyekola had yet to provide the evidence relating to his explanations as of April 19, 2026. The commission also disclosed that the complainant had withdrawn the complaint, although it would continue its investigation due to the nature of the case. It is worth noting that the exact date the complainant withdrew the complaint could not be independently verified by UCJ UI. On April 22, 2023, Oyekola was reportedly suspended by the Students’ Union Senate Council following a motion of suspension during a Senate meeting.
According to his statement of claim before the Students’ Union Court, the suspension denied him the opportunity to participate in subsequent Senate Council sittings.
VERIFICATION
UCJ UI examined the available materials, including the broadcast messages, the statement of claim and the UCJ Unilorin reports referenced in the circulating message.
The Students’ Union Court Case
“While I was the Chief Justice of the Students’ Union, University of Ilorin, in the 22/23 academic session, I confirm to you that Mr OYEKOLA David was charged to the Students’ Union Court on an allegation of misappropriation of funds. I can equally confirm to you that the prosecution in that case did not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt to warrant his conviction”, he said.
Usman Omopelumi, Unilorin Chief Justice 2022/23
In his statement of claim, Oyekola explained that he received ₦220,000 in instalments on behalf of another student, Oyeyemi Mayowa Mubarak, for hostel accommodation.
According to him, part of the money was used to pay the school fees of a student who was at risk of missing the payment deadline, while he was unable to immediately return the remaining balance to the original recipient, Mubarak. According to his account, the recipient subsequently reported the matter to UISAPC.
Oyekola reportedly took The Senate Council, Students’ Union, University of Ilorin, the Senate President, Students Union, University of Ilorin, and Unilorin Independent Students’ Anti-Corruption Practices Commission to court over the allegations levelled at him and his suspension before the Students’ Union Court.
Speaking with UCJ UI, his lawyer, Dauda Ridwan Sarumi, Esq., who represented him in the case, said the allegations were not proved.
“Unilorin SU is structured into an executive, senate and judicial council. Students’ courts were part of the judicial council. The university sanctioned these structures. So, Apostle was sued for financial misappropriation by the UISAPC. I was his team lead. The UISAPC could not prove the case against him”.
Sarumi further stated that the Students’ Union Court found in Oyekola’s favour.
“The Students’ Union Court held in clear terms that the case was not proved at all. He was acquitted and discharged. Then, UISAPC was being used by some student politicians to frustrate the ambitions of their opponents. But God be the glory, Apostle won against them all”, he added.
Substantively, on this account, Erinle Usman Omopelumi, the Chief Justice who presided over the case during the 2022/2023 academic session, affirmed that the matter was charged before the Students’ Union Court on an allegation of misappropriation of funds.
“While I was the Chief Justice of the Students’ Union, University of Ilorin, in the 22/23 academic session, I confirm to you that Mr OYEKOLA David was charged to the Students’ Union Court on an allegation of misappropriation of funds. I can equally confirm to you that the prosecution in that case did not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt to warrant his conviction”, he said.
He also stated that the complainant withdrew the case after the trial had commenced and witnesses had been heard.
“The nominal complainant withdrew the case after trial had already begun and witnesses had been heard. Unfortunately, I searched through my system yesterday after you reached out to me to see if the summary ruling I wrote with respect to that case was saved on my drive, but it was not”.
According to him, they were unable to deliver a ruling in open court at the time of withdrawal, as it coincided with the exam period.
“I also confirm to you that he also sued the Senate Council, of the same session, of which he was a member. The Council was then presided over by Dist. Senator Fasasi Ahmed Olalekan. That case was about whether his suspension was lawful or unlawful.”
“As the judge that presided over the same case, I confirm to you that the unanimous decision of the justices was that the suspension was unlawful. The judgment was not delivered as well for the reason stated above.”
Similar to the previous account from the then UCJ Unilorin Chief Justice and Oyekola Lawyer, the then UCJ Unilorin president, Mr Ajao Ifeoluwa Emmanuel, also recalled that Oyekola won the criminal case, while the civil case concerning his suspension was nullified.
“I could remember that there was a case of that and the judgment, right? He won one, and one was nullified by the then CJ. During that case, it was towards the examination, and they just had to wrap it up as soon as possible and considering the fact that everybody had a lot on their plate, we couldn’t make a publication regarding it. But I could remember vividly that the civil case was nullified, and the criminal case he won; he won it too,” he said.
While the accounts of the lawyer and the former Chief Justice provide evidence of the reported outcome of the proceedings, the absence of the signed judgment limits independent verification of the court’s formal decision and its exact terms.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Oyekola David was found guilty of financial misappropriation and misconduct is misleading.
Available records show that he faced allegations of financial misappropriation as a result of an underlying complaint to UISAPC concerning breach of agreement and bending of procedures.
While he reportedly admitted to the latter allegations, he also provided explanations for his actions. This was also substantiated by a separate Students’ Union Court case, where the Chief Justice who presided over the proceedings said the allegations were not proved.
Although UCJ UI could not independently examine a signed copy of the judgment, the available evidence does not substantiate the circulating claim that Oyekola was found guilty of financial misappropriation and misconduct.
