Desk Editor’s Note: The story below is significant to the university community and wider members of this public research university as it concerns respect for judicial authority, particularly among students of the UI Faculty of Law. The IndyPress Social Justice Desk documents injustices and their agents, and amplifies issues of justice and accountability.

By IndyPress Social Justice Desk 

On July 30, 2026, the Judicial Council of the Law Students’ Society (LSS), University of Ibadan, delivered judgment in a suit between Hon. Olaoye Hikmat, a 400-level constituency representative, and the Law Students’ Representative Council (LSRC).

The Judicial Council set aside Hikmat’s suspension on the grounds of fair hearing and awarded her ₦3,000 in damages.

However, the LSRC, led by Rt. Hon. Agboola Tariq, took more than a month to partially comply with the judgment, with the payment of the awarded damages still outstanding as of September 9.

How it started

On May 10, 2026, Hikmat was suspended from the LSRC and fined following an alleged derogatory remark about the Council.

According to the facts contained in the judgment obtained by IndyPress, the disciplinary action followed a remark she made during a conversation in her constituency’s WhatsApp group and her absence from a Council sitting held the previous day.

The judgment stated that on May 8, during a conversation in the 400-level constituency WhatsApp group, “The Trail Blazers,” Hikmat made, among other remarks, the statement: “LSRC dey gba for this faculty.”

The judgment further stated that, following the remark and her absence from the Council’s third sitting held on May 7, disciplinary sanctions were imposed on her.

These included a three-week suspension from the Council, a ₦5,000 fine, and her removal from the official LSRC parliamentary WhatsApp platform for allegedly violating Orders 1(b) and 9(c) of the LSRC Standing Orders.

Hikmat subsequently challenged the disciplinary action before the LSS Judicial Council.

Following the court proceedings between July 5 to July 30, 2026, the judicial panel, presided by Hon. Justice O.J. Peluola, ruled in favour of Hikmat, setting aside her suspension and the fine of ₦5000 on the grounds that she was not afforded fair hearing.

The Council also awarded ₦3,000 in damages to Hikmat, as compensation to her.

Despite the judgment delivered on July 30 and the imperative of a judicial council to prevent arbitrary power and ensure the rule of law, the affected representative was not immediately restored to the official LSRC platform for over a month.

Recall that similar occurrences happened in the 2024/2025 academic session with Rt. Hon. Shoge Quadri, the erstwhile Speaker of the Students’ Representative Council, University of Ibadan, refused to immediately obey a court order on the reinstatement of Nice Linus, an elected member of the council.

Speaking with IndyPress, Hikmat said the Chief Whip eventually sent her the Council’s WhatsApp group link on Sunday, September 6, more than five weeks after the judgment.

“The Chief Whip sent me a link to the group on Sunday afternoon. They have not paid the fine to me,” she said.

The payment she referred to is the ₦3,000 damages awarded to her by the Judicial Council.

It is worth noting that the restoration came two days after one of her counsel, Samuel Omofala, petitioned the LSRC on September 4 over the Council’s failure to comply with the judgment.

The delay of more than five weeks in complying with an order of the association’s Student Tribunal/Court against the Faculty of Law Students’ Representative Council (LSRC) may be indicative of a disregard for the rule of law, lawlessness and disrespect for the authority of the judiciary by individuals who should know better.

Special Credit: Law Press organization