The University of Ibadan management has come under sharp criticism from the Concerned Students Movement (CSM), which has accused the institution’s authorities of suppressing student unionism and shielding corruption while punishing activists.
In a statement signed by the group’s coordinator, Feranmi Gabriel, and secretary, Omolaye Emmanuel, the students condemned the suspension of Aduwo Ayodele and Mide Gbadegesin, alongside the alleged victimisation of another activist, Nice Linus. The three were reportedly punished for participating in a peaceful protest tagged “Fees Must Fall.”
According to the CSM, the suspension of the students for four academic semesters amounted to a deliberate attempt to criminalise dissent and stifle free expression. “By suspending the student activists for holding cardboards with inscriptions, the University of Ibadan management has shown it is determined to punish dissent and create a climate of fear,” the statement read.
The group alleged that the university had a history of financial mismanagement, despite years of allocations from the Federal Government, and called for an independent probe into its finances and expenditures over the past decade. It further accused the management of neglecting student welfare, pointing to dilapidated classrooms, unhygienic toilets, poorly equipped laboratories, and “duplicated, unutilised fees” charged to students.
Beyond financial concerns, the CSM also accused Vice Chancellor Prof. Kayode Adebowale of interfering in student union activities, silencing independent voices, and protecting campus security officials accused of assaulting students and journalists.
As part of its demands, the group called for the immediate reinstatement of the suspended students, greater transparency in the use of funds, and an end to what it described as “authoritarian stranglehold” on campus unions. It also urged the Students’ Union to convene a general congress when the new semester begins on August 25.
“Silence, in this moment, will only pave the way for even deeper exploitation, greater impoverishment and harsher repression,” the group warned.
