By The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has demanded the immediate reinstatement of Aduwo Ayodele and Mide Gbadegesin following a Federal High Court ruling that voided their suspension and affirmed their constitutional rights.
The group called on the University of Ibadan management to comply fully with the judgment and see to their immediate reinstatement.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, CAPPA commended the judiciary for quashing the disciplinary action taken against Ayodele Aduwo and Mide Gbadegesin, while also addressing what it termed the continued victimisation of Nice Linus.
The organisation said the judgment, delivered by Justice Nkeonye Maha in Ibadan, reaffirmed students’ constitutional rights to freedom of thought and expression as guaranteed under Sections 38 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
CAPPA demanded that the university comply fully with the order of the high court by reinstating the affected students and issuing an unreserved apology.
“The court’s decision sends an unequivocal message to the University of Ibadan and other academic institutions nationwide that authoritarian tactics to suppress legitimate dissent are unlawful and unacceptable,” said Zikora Ibe, CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director.
Recall that AfrikTimes had earlier reported that the Federal High Court, Ibadan, nullified the suspension of the three students, ruling that they acted within their constitutional rights after participating in a peaceful protest against a fee hike during a Students’ Union inauguration on May 13, 2024.
Mide, Aduwo, and Nice testified that they were forcibly removed from the venue by university security personnel, assaulted, and handed over to operatives of Operation Burst, where they were profiled as criminals.
Following the incident, Aduwo and Gbadegesin were suspended for four academic semesters on July 14, 2025, while Linus was reportedly prevented from assuming her elected position in the Students’ Representative Council.
CAPPA described the development as part of a broader pattern across Nigerian universities, where student activism, particularly protests against rising fees, is increasingly met with intimidation and disciplinary sanctions.
While commending the students for pursuing legal redress, the organisation noted that the judgment should serve as a precedent for protecting student rights across the country.
The group warned that suppressing dissent within academic institutions undermines their role as centres of critical thinking and democratic engagement.
“When administrations resort to intimidation and suspensions, campuses risk becoming zones of fear rather than spaces for intellectual debate,” the statement added.
CAPPA also called for more transparent and participatory decision-making processes in universities, particularly on policies affecting students, stressing that rising education costs continue to burden many families.
