Many Nigerian students today are worried about the rising cost of education. Some students have decided they can no longer keep quiet about it. This is the real story of how three brave students at the University of Ibadan are now facing the school’s disciplinary panel after they protested peacefully about school fees and the cost of learning.
This week, news broke that the University of Ibadan in Oyo State has summoned Aduwo Ayodele and two other students to appear before its Student Disciplinary Committee. The internal memo was signed by S. O. Oyewumi, who is the Deputy Registrar for Students.
It was clear in the memo that the students are being accused of obstructing the swearing-in ceremony for the new Students’ Union executives for the 2023 and 2024 session. The students believe that this is happening because they raised their voices peacefully to say, “Things are not okay.”
According to the memo, the disciplinary meeting will take place on Monday, 30 June 2025. It will be at exactly 9.30 in the morning. The venue is the Conference Room of the Student Affairs Division.
The memo clearly said the students must come well dressed. It also warned that if they fail to appear, they could face more punishment.
Aduwo Ayodele, one of the students, spoke up about what really happened. He explained that on May 13, 2024, when the Students’ Union inauguration was happening, they decided to stage a peaceful protest. They carried placards and stood together to show that they are tired of the rising cost of education in Nigeria.
They also wanted to speak out against what they called the commercialisation of public universities. This simply means that they believe public schools are now acting like private businesses, asking students to pay more and more every year, even when families cannot afford it.
According to Aduwo, instead of the school management listening to them or sitting down to understand why they were protesting, they faced force and violence. He said the university’s own security officers attacked them physically. After beating them, they were handed over to the Nigerian Army. Imagine that.
Students peacefully protesting were handed over to soldiers. After that shocking day, the university started calling them to different panels. Aduwo said that since July 2, when they first went before a fact-finding panel, it has been one panel after another. Now, they have been summoned again to appear before the disciplinary committee. Many people believe the school is trying to scare them into silence.
Aduwo shared his disappointment. He said a university is supposed to protect students’ rights, not oppress them. He reminded people that freedom to protest and freedom to say what you feel about government policies is a constitutional right.
That means the Nigerian Constitution gives every citizen, including students, the right to speak up when they are not happy about something that affects them. Aduwo added that trying to crush students’ voices is not the job of a school. Instead, a school should help students to grow, think, and find solutions to problems, not punish them for speaking out.
Many people now wonder, why are students being punished for protesting peacefully? This question is especially important now because so many Nigerian students are struggling to pay their fees. Some have dropped out because their parents cannot afford the new amounts.
Some are unable to buy books or pay rent because everything is expensive. A lot of families have lost jobs or are earning less because of the current economic situation. Instead of the school looking for ways to make life easier, these students believe the school is adding more pain.
People have also asked why the school did not just talk to the students. Some say the university could have called a town hall meeting where students would share their complaints openly. There could have been dialogue instead of force.
It is true that protests can sometimes disturb normal school activities, but many people believe that peaceful protest is better than students staying silent while they suffer. Many believe that when students cannot speak, they suffer in silence and lose hope in their leaders.
Some people tried to get the school’s side of the story, but the Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Keye Abiona, could not be reached. Reporters tried to call him but his phone line did not connect. This has made some people more worried that the school does not want to say anything about the matter.
All of this shows that there is a big gap between school authorities and students. If this gap continues to grow, more students may begin to lose faith in their schools. They may stop believing that their voices matter. That is not good for any school and it is not good for the country.
It is important for school managements all over Nigeria to learn from this. Protests will always come when people feel ignored. Students are not animals to be beaten or sent to soldiers because they carried placards. They are human beings who will be the leaders of tomorrow. They deserve to be heard.
Now, many people are waiting to see what the University of Ibadan will do next. Will they punish Aduwo Ayodele and his fellow students? Or will they listen to the bigger message and find a way to make education less expensive and more fair? Only time will tell.
As young people, we must also learn from this. When we want to protest, we should do it peacefully, wisely, and with facts. And when we see others speak up for what is right, we should not mock them or leave them to fight alone. Remember, today it is them, tomorrow it could be you.
StudentPortals.com.ng will keep watching this story. If you are a student of the University of Ibadan, what do you think about this matter? Do you feel your school fees are too high? Do you feel your voice is being heard? Let us know.
As always, I am Prudent Joshua, here to give you the real stories that affect students like you. Stay strong, stay informed, and never forget that your voice matters.
