By: IndyPress News Desk
Two students of the University of Ibadan have been summoned to appear before the Students’ Disciplinary Committee (SDC) on Monday, June 30, 2025, at the Conference Room, Students’ Affairs Division, IndyPress can report.
The students, Aduwo Ayodele, a 400-level student of History, and Mide Gbadegesin, a 700-level student at the Institute of African Studies, received official letters signed by S.O. Oyewunmi, the Deputy Registrar (Students), inviting them to the hearing.
Their summons is linked to their participation in a placard protest held on May 13, 2024, during the inauguration of the Students’ Union Executive Committee and Students’ Representative Council, to be led by Aweda Bolaji and Opegbemi Busoye Matthias, respectively. The protest was aimed at rejecting the systematization of the university’s proposed fee hike.
“You are invited to appear before the Students’ Disciplinary Committee for jointly committed offences, meeting as follows: Monday, 30 June 2025. Venue: Conference Room, Student Affairs Division. Time: 9:30 a.m.,” the letter reads.
The Committee further stated:“The meeting is a continuation of the investigation on the allegation of misconduct bordering on insubordination/unruly behavior to wit, obstruction of the swearing-in ceremony for the 2023/2024 newly elected Executives of the Students’ Union, by you and other students.”
“Please note that you must be properly dressed when appearing before the Committee. Failure to honour this invitation may result in disciplinary action.”
It will be recalled that both students were initially summoned before the SDC earlier this year on June 5, 2025.
Efforts to confirm whether Nice Linus, a third student previously targeted in relation to the protest, also received a fresh SDC summons were unsuccessful as of press time.
When contacted, Mide Gbadegesin confirmed receipt of the invitation and expressed confidence in his position.
“I am unperturbed. I have done no wrong, so I have nothing to fear. I will go there and state my case in goodwill and with a clear conscience,” he told IndyPress.
Aduwo Ayodele, speaking in a similar tone, condemned the SDC proceedings as victimization and a breach of his right to freedom of expression.
“You may recall the symbolic action we took on Monday, May 13, 2024, peacefully holding placards during the inauguration of the Students’ Union administration to protest the imminent increase in school fees at the University of Ibadan. That action was a principled call to the University community, especially the Students’ Union leadership, to rise to the responsibility of defending students’ interests,” Ayodele said.
“What followed was a disturbing overreaction. We were forcefully removed from the venue, physically assaulted, handed over to the Nigerian Army, and have since been subjected to a year-long process of intimidation and disciplinary action. This latest invitation is yet another attempt to continue this pattern of repression.”
“The fact remains that expressing dissent, especially against policies that make education increasingly inaccessible, is a constitutional right. It is both unjust and alarming that students committed to the struggle for affordable education are being subjected to relentless and calculated victimization.”
“This latest development confirms what many have suspected that the University administration has not laid this matter to rest. On the contrary, the management appears determined to punish us, not for wrongdoing, but for standing up for a progressive cause,” he added.
Background to the Protest
On May 13, 2024, the duo staged a peaceful protest during the swearing-in of the Students’ Union Executive Committee and Representative Council, expressing opposition to the formalization of a fee hike.
The protest was met with harsh suppression. The students were dragged out of the ceremony venue by university security operatives, popularly known as Abefele, and handed over to Nigerian Army personnel.
In July 2024, the students appeared before a fact-finding panel of the SDC. However, prosecution of the case has since stalled, raising questions about due process and the right to fair hearing.
Even after students, during a July 17 protest, demanded an end to the victimization and trial of the trio, the University management has yet to act on these calls.
Widespread Condemnation
The ongoing trial has drawn criticism from global human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Global Human Rights, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Activista Nigeria, and the Education Rights Campaign. These organizations have criticized the University’s handling of student activism under the administration of Vice Chancellor Professor Kayode Adebowale, warning that it threatens fundamental freedoms.
In a statement shared 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 organization further argued that the University’s approach appeared to be a deliberate attempt at intimidation, insisting that institutions of learning should focus on easing access to education rather than punishing dissent.
Meanwhile, the Students’ Union Executive Committee and Representative Council led by Covenant Odedele and Shoge Quadri have remained silent, despite repeated calls to speak out against the continued victimization of their fellow students.
