By: Gbayesola Samuel
Two University of Ibadan students, Aduwo Ayodele, a 400-level History student, and Mide Gbadegesin, a 700-level student at the Institute of African Studies, have been summoned to appear before the Central Students’ Disciplinary Committee (CSDC) for the final hearing of a prolonged case tied to their participation in an anti-fee hike protest in 2024, IndyPress reports.
According to a letter signed by the university’s Deputy Registrar, Mr. S.O. Oyewunmi, the final hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Monday, July 14, 2025, at the Senate Chamber, University of Ibadan.
The disciplinary action stems from a symbolic protest held during the inauguration ceremony of the Students’ Union Executive Committee and the Students’ Representative Council on May 13, 2024. During the event, where Aweda Bolaji and Busoye Opeyemi Matthias were to be sworn-in as President and Speaker respectively, the students displayed placards raising attention to impending fee hikes, IndyPress gathered.
“You are invited to appear before the Central Student Disciplinary Committee meeting on Monday, 14 July 2025. Venue: Senate Chamber, University of Ibadan Time: 9.30a.m.,” the letter reads.
“The meeting is a continuation of the investigations on the allegation of misconduct bothering on insubordination/unruly behaviour. To wit, obstruction of the swearing-in ceremony for the 2023/2024 Newly Elected Executives of the Students Union, by you and two other students.”
“Please note that you must be properly dressed when you appear before the Student Disciplinary Committee. Failure to honour this invitation may earn you disciplinary action,” it added.
Reacting, Mide Gbadegesin described the SDC summons as part of a broader pattern of victimizations he and his colleagues have experienced.
He told IndyPress that he and his colleagues have endured verbal harassment and unwarranted surveillance as a result of their activism.
Gbadegesin emphasized that his participation in the protest was driven by deep dissatisfaction with the institutionalization of fee hikes, which he described as a violation of his fundamental human rights.
He also criticized the conduct of the disciplinary hearing, stating that the questions posed lacked fairness.
“It was an increment in the tuition fees that made me participate in the protest. Education is a social service that every society is responsible to deliver to its citizens or its members to make them functional,” Mide said.
“Before I launch into the SDC part, it is important to note that this is one of the many victimizations that we are going through. We have had verbal victimizations. We have had unsolicited surveillance of our activities. We have suffered a lot of victimizations in many phases,” he added.
Addressing the press on Friday, July 11, 2025, Aduwo Ayodele clarified that the placard protest held on May 13 was not a spontaneous act, but the culmination of several prior efforts to raise awareness about student-related issues. He explained that he and his colleagues had consistently spoken out on matters such as acceptance fees and worsening campus conditions, which, according to him, hinder students’ access to quality education.
According to Aduwo, the May 13 placard protest was a continuation of their ongoing advocacy, intended to highlight the broader consequences of unchecked fee increases. He further criticized the disciplinary process, describing it as politically motivated and designed to suppress dissent.
He expressed frustration over the series of panels they had faced, ranging from fact-finding to investigative, culminating in the final hearing before the Central Students’ Disciplinary Committee.
He further alleged that they were assaulted and mistreated for engaging in a peaceful protest, and that since the incident, they have been unfairly stigmatized on campus. Ayodele noted that the administration’s actions amount to an attempt to intimidate student activists and suppress the right to protest, something he described as a fundamental human right.
“Before Monday, May 13th, we had already registered our concerns, the three of us and others who stood with us. The issue we have now is real and concerns students. Even before the May 13 protest, we were engaged in many activities. Speaking up about student concerns, from acceptance fees, to several campus issues that affect the quality of education and student welfare.”
“We’ve faced two panels, first, a fact-finding panel, and then an investigative panel, and now we are to face the Central Student Disciplinary Committee (SDC). Our position is that the university management’s actions against us are politically motivated. The right to protest is a human right. And yes, protests should be peaceful. If there was any misconduct, it was that we were unjustly dragged out of our Students’ Union inauguration, beaten, and assaulted. Since then, we’ve been stigmatized, we can’t freely attend events and anyone seen with us faces suspicion from security.”
“This case has dragged on unnecessarily. The university could have concluded it last session, but chose not to, likely because last session, we had more series of protest. Now, we face a real threat of suspension. Based on what is in the student handbook, gross misconduct can lead to suspension or expulsion.”
“This is happening not because we destroyed property or fought anyone, but because we spoke out about legitimate student issues, inadequate electricity, poor water supply, high fees, and so on. Another implication is that this effort by management is meant to criminalize dissent.”
“They want students to see protest as something that will ruin your life, so that no one dares to speak up next time. Over time, the Students’ Union itself has been weakened. Instead of defending students, it now acts like the university’s Public Relations agency. For example, announcements about the student loan policy, school fees increases, or other issues now come from the Students’ Union, as though they are speaking for the management.”
“Before May 13th, the student leadership at that time underrepresented us. They weren’t ready to confront management, even as students struggled to survive. So, on May 13th, we acted out of necessity, not overzealously. What is happening now is a deliberate attempt to discourage activism on campus. It is about peacefully raising issues and demanding accountability. This case will have broader consequences. It discourages dialogue, students will fear speaking up, and freedom of expression will be subjected to victimization.”
“If this goes unchecked, it sets a dangerous precedent. If students lose the courage to speak, more harmful policies will come without resistance. Already, students endure darkness in halls, water scarcity, rising fees, medical strikes, yet the union leadership rarely mobilizes real action.”
Addressing the press, Nice Linus, a 400- level Law student, explained that she and her colleagues did not participate in the May 13 protest to acquire fame, but to draw the attention of the management of the University of Ibadan under Professor Adebowale to the consequences of fee Increment on public education.According to her, the “last one year has been an hell” for her and her colleagues.
“What we did was to defend what an ideal university is meant to serve, which is to provide accessible and quality education, and ultimately to save the Nigerian educational system from collapsing into something that only serves those in power,” Nice Linus said.
It will be recalled that one of the prices that Nice Linus have had to pay for protesting against the increase in tuition fees was being suspended from the Students’ Representative Council, despite being elected a representative and majority leader.
The Root Saga
On May 13, 2024, Aduwo Ayodele, Nice Linus and Mide Gbadegesin engaged in a placard protest during the swearing-in ceremony of the Students’ Union Executive and Representative Council on May 13, 2024.
The demonstration was met with heavy-handed repression. The students were forcefully dragged out of the inauguration auditorium by university security personnel, known as ‘Abefele’ and handed over to Nigerian Army officers.
In July 2024, the students appeared before a fact-finding panel of the SDC. Since then, the case has stagnated, prompting concerns over due process and the right to a fair hearing until July 2, 2025, when two out of the three students (Aduwo Ayodele and Mide Gbadegesin) re-appeared before the investigative SDC panel.
On July 17, 2024, students held protests demanding an end to the alleged victimization and continued prosecution of the three student activists. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olapegba told protesters that the university wasn’t victimizing the three students.
Contrarily, the year-long disciplinary process has drawn widespread criticism from international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Global Human Rights, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Activista Nigeria, and the Education Rights Campaign. These groups have accused the university, under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Professor Kayode Adebowale, of suppressing student activism and threatening democratic freedoms.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) in July 2024, Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) wrote: “Amnesty International calls on the University of Ibadan @UniIbadan to rescind plans to expel three students for exercising their human rights by participating in a protest against an outrageous fee hike that so far forced many students to withdraw from university education.”
The group stated that the University’s disciplinary measures seem to be a strategy of intimidation and insisted that institutions should prioritize making education more accessible rather than punishing dissent.
Efforts to get comments from the Students’ Union President, Covenant Odedele, regarding the Union’s intervention on the issue were unsuccessful as of press time.
