By: Toluwalope Ayeye

The Ransome Kuti Hall of Residence management on Saturday, 31st of August 2024, prevented some of its student residents from leaving the hall premises, under the pretext that they failed to vacate the hall before the slated 2PM deadline earlier ordered by the University of Ibadan management, IndyPress reports.

Student residents of the hall were left stranded inside the hall, and were only allowed to leave after making a fine payment worth two thousand naira #2000, IndyPress gathered.

At the scene, IndyPress observed that students were agitated and displeased with the action of the hall management, led by the Hall Supervisor, and Warden, who did not let go of the students.

Paul, a resident staying in Kuti Hall revealed to INDYPRESS that he was stuck outside of his hostel because he couldn’t pay any fine to pick up his belongings from inside the hostel.

‘At the moment, we are actually stranded and according to what I am hearing we have to pay #1000 every 1 hour. They released a memo just today and they expect us to take our leave today. They cannot expect people who are living in the North or South to move just today,” Paul said.

Another student who identified as Cruz explained that although he was trying to follow the rules and leave on time, he was unable to do so and he was stuck waiting for the gate to open.

Students were also seen scaling through the balcony and jumping from the first floor, risking their safety as an attempt to evade paying any fine.

Speaking to one of the students, he explained that he had to jump from because he couldn’t afford the fine of 4000 naira. According to him, the fine increased every hour and he could not pay that much fine.

‘‘Yeah it is just that the decision UI made is not appropriate for the student. It was too impromptu. For people that have to travel very far like Enugu, Anambra and have to prepare for the journey, it is not easy. I think travelling to Enugu requires 20,000 naira and some people just went to buy stuff from the market and are low on cash” Cruz said.

(A student is seen jumping from the first floor of Block A Kuti hall, to avoid paying a fine of 4,000 naira.)

Speaking to Issa, another student who was stuck inside of Kuti hall, explained that although he was not a Kutite, and only went to Kuti hall to eat, he was stopped from coming out, but was only allowed his freedom when he collected a fine slip and agreed to pay a fine.

‘When I got to the gate I saw people outside trying to get their things from inside and people inside trying to get outside. So I got here I talked to them and said I was not a member of the hall, that I was here to eat. He said that it doesn’t concern him that I have been here well up to an hour. He said that he doesn’t care that everybody that is inside should pay fine I think it was around two thirty that he said that once it gets to 3:00 you have to pay 3000 naira. Right now people are trying to get in and he is telling them to pay 5000 naira and are going to pay twice as much as the time increases’.

(The fine slip given to Issa before he could leave Ransome Kuti Hall premises.)

While some students like Isa were given a slip and asked to write their names and numbers down, to pay when they resume, others who could afford to pay the fine paid it either by cash or via transfer. It was also noticed that the fine paid by transfer was not being paid to the school account but to the account of one Joseph Adewole Oyebamiji, who is supposedly the secretary to the hall warden, Dr. Raphael Ojebuyi, from the Department of Communication and Language Arts.

(A screenshot of a transfer made to Joseph Adewole Oyebamiji by a Kutite).

While a student who refused to pay the fine took a video of students paying fine, the hall warden asked him to submit the video.

(Dr. Ojebuyi seen among stranded Kuti Hall members)

Groups React, Call out Ransom Kuti Hall Management ‘Insensitivity‘

A pro-education group, Concerned Students Against Tuition Fee, condemned the extortion of students by the Kuti Hall Management and warned against ploy by the Hall Management to victimize residents of the hall who decried the extortion.

‘It has come to our attention that Dr. Babatunde Ojebuyi, who is the current Hall Warden of Ransome Kuti hall of residence, ordered students residing in the hall to pay a fine for ‘evacuating the hall late’ into the following account: 8064745380 (Joseph Adewole Oyebamiji)” the release reads.

“First, we condemn the act of pressuring students to leave their halls of residence, without due notice. We condemn the hall warden’s high-handedness and extortion of students. We state unequivocally that this act is insensitive and highly condemnable. We also warn against any attempt by the Hall Warden, Dr. Ojebuyi to victimize residents of the hall who resisted the extortion. We demand that students should rather be apologized to, and refunded in the case of an extortion,” the release concluded.

Also, members of the Students’ Representative Council representing Ransom Kuti Hall has also condemned the extortion.

Honorable Abajesude Heritage, the majority leader, on behalf of Kuti Hall SRC members and the current 11th Assembly of Kuti Hall Representative Council expressed displeasure at the recent levying of fines on members of the hall.

“We call on the entire board of Ransome-Kuti Hall Leadership to take corrective actions as soon as practicable. The situation is not only displeasing to members of the hall but also to students of the University entirely” the release reads.

“We demand justice and a swift resolution to this matter as the committee or honorable members of this constituency will not fail to take more deliberate corrective measures against the leadership of the hall, should no development be made regarding the matter,” the release concluded.