The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has reversed irregular admissions into its Faculty of Law, directing affected students to return to the academic programmes through which they were originally admitted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Offiong Offiong, announced the decision during a meeting with affected students from the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions.
Offiong, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof Afam Okiwelu, said the exercise was aimed at correcting admission irregularities, restoring confidence in the institution’s admission process, and ensuring compliance with the regulations of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and the Council of Legal Education.
According to him, students who were not originally admitted into the Faculty of Law through JAMB could not continue in the programme, warning that allowing such admissions to stand could invalidate their degrees and make them ineligible for admission into the Nigerian Law School.
“We advise every student who transferred from the programme to which JAMB originally admitted them into Law to return to their original departments in line with the admission records,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the university had recently come under public scrutiny over admission irregularities and stressed that the current administration was determined to address the anomalies to prevent sanctions and protect the institution’s reputation.
He disclosed that of the 435 students currently in the second year of the Faculty of Law, only 221 were originally admitted into the programme through JAMB, describing the situation as a clear violation of existing admission regulations.
Offiong warned that failure to rectify the irregularities could expose the university to sanctions, including the suspension of admissions into the Faculty of Law, with far-reaching consequences for prospective students and the institution’s accreditation.
To cushion the impact on affected students, he said the university had approved the transfer of school fees already paid for the 2025/2026 academic session to the 2026/2027 academic session for those returning to their original departments.
He added that students who choose to withdraw from the university would be eligible for refunds of their school fees after following the prescribed application process.
The Vice-Chancellor urged the affected students to cooperate with the university, saying the corrective measures were intended to safeguard their academic future while preserving the integrity and accreditation of the Faculty of Law.
He reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to transparency, accountability and strict compliance with statutory admission guidelines as part of efforts to restore the credibility of the University of Calabar.