The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the University of Calabar (UNICAL) to grant 214 students ejected from the institution’s Law faculty access to lectures, academic portals and other academic facilities pending the determination of the students’ suit.
Penpushing reports that the Judge, Joyce Abdulmalik in an interlocutory injunction directed the university authorities to grant the affected students unrestricted access to lectures, their students’ portal and academic amenities pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The statement shared by the students’ lawyer on Monday, explained that the judge issued the interim order after listening to the arguments of lawyers representing the students and the university on Monday.
Penpushing further reports that, lawyer to the university and the other defendants, Jonas Abuo had told the court that although the defendants had been served with all necessary filings regarding the suit, they were unable to file their response because the university’s vice chancellor and registrar had travelled out of the country.
The counsel explained that he had only filed a conditional memorandum of appearance and asked the court to adjourn the case to enable the defendants to respond to the suit, however, lawyer to the students, Bernard Okpi, opposed the application.
Penpushing also reports that Okpi argued that the defendants were served on August 24, 2026 and had exhausted the statutory 30-day period within which to file their response, and urged the court to proceed with the hearing or, if it was inclined to grant the defendants an adjournment, award N2 million in costs and allow the students to move their motion for an interlocutory injunction.
The judge after listening to the lawyers, granted the interlocutory injunction sought by the students, ordering the parties to maintain the “status quo”, and adjourned the case to November 25, 2026 for hearing.
Penpushing reports that at Monday’s proceedings, Okpi appeared with Confidence Mbang, Bennedict Otu, Udoh Ekananem and Kenneth Ibobo for the students, while the university and the other defendants were represented by Abuo and Akiba Eyo Veronica.
The students it would be recalled filed the suit after University of Calabar announced in August that 214 of its 435 second year LL. B students would be removed from the Faculty of Law and returned to the departments where they were originally admitted.
Penpushing further reports that the university said only 221 of the 435 second year students were officially admitted into the Law programme, while the remaining 214 had entered the faculty from other departments.
The university also stated that the affected students would not be eligible for admission to the Nigerian Law School if they remained in Law under their existing admission status, however, the students, argued that the university had admitted them into Law, accepted their fees, registered them for Law courses and allowed them to sit examinations and progress through the programme.
Penpushing also reports that the students explained that the university later instructed them to undergo Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) regularisation, which they completed after paying the required fees.
The students subsequently sued the university, Vice Chancellor Offiong Offiong, registrar, and President Bola Tinubu, seeking N5 billion in damages and asking the court to protect their continued studies in the Law programme.
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