UI Students Accuse Institution of Victimization After Fee Hike Protest
Students at the University of Ibadan protested against a fee hike and have accused the institution of victimizing their peers involved in the protest. Two students were queried and faced possible suspension for their participation.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
In a recent development, students of the University of Ibadan (UI) who protested against a fee hike have accused the institution of victimizing their fellow protesters. The students, organized under the Fund Education Coalition, staged a protest against the fee hike on May 13. However, two of the students involved, Olamide Iyanuoluwa and Ayodele Aduwo, have been unjustly targeted, according to the coalition's convener, Femi Adeyeye.
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A memo dated May 24 from the university's authorities, signed by Deputy Registrar T.I. Musa, queried the students involved in the protest, giving them 48 hours to respond or face automatic suspension. The memo accused the students of disrupting the swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected Students’ Union executives and engaging in unruly behavior in the presence of the Vice-Chancellor and other university officials.
Adeyeye condemned the university's actions, alleging that the students were assaulted by security personnel before being handed over to Operation Burst, a security outfit. He argued that the university's response aimed to divert attention from the fee hike issue and silence student activism. Adeyeye emphasized that the coalition's campaign against fee hikes in universities began in June 2023 and called for a reduction in fees across Nigerian universities.
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In response, a source within the university dismissed the allegations of victimization, stating that the institution's actions were appropriate given the disruption caused by the protesters. The source asserted that the fee increase at UI, while slightly higher than the previous year, remains the lowest among universities in the South-West.
UI's Students’ Union President, Bolaji Aweda, expressed optimism about ongoing engagements with the university authorities regarding the fee hike issue.
The incident underscores the tension between students and institutions over fee adjustments and highlights the importance of constructive dialogue in resolving such disputes.
