The University of Ibadan (UI) has come under criticism following continued disciplinary actions against students Ayodele Aduwo, Mide Gbadegesin, and Nice Linus, who peacefully protested the institution’s fee hike in 2024.
Both Aduwo and Gbadegesin would be facing the school’s Central Disciplinary Committee for the second time on Monday. Furthermore, for Linus, the price she has paid so far was losing her seat at the UI student representative council as a legislator of the UI Student Union. She had won the position by merit at the polls. On June 30, Aduwo and Gbadegesin faced the SDC separately, and from their experiences, the panel had already reached its conclusion—the questioning masks judgment as a fair hearing.
“They asked mind-bending tricks and questions. They wanted me to see fault in my actions. They attempted to criminalise the act of simply holding placards to protest the increased fees. They claimed the management team could have been intimidated by my holding a placard. They were asking me to imagine scenarios away from the real event in a bid to say what could implicate me,” Aduwo described the questioning process.
Despite being questioned separately, Gbadegesin’s opinions on the questions he was asked were similar. “Most of the questions were conclusive. It showed that the person had concluded on many of those matters; he was just asking for maybe formalities or to incite me or to rile me up to say things that are incriminating,” Gbadegesin said.
