The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the University of Calabar to allow 214 students removed from its Faculty of Law to continue attending lectures and accessing academic facilities pending the determination of their suit.
The court directed the university to provide the students with unrestricted access to lectures, their students’ portal and other academic resources while the case is pending.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the interlocutory injunction on Tuesday after hearing arguments from counsel representing the affected students and the university.
The judge also ordered the parties to maintain the status quo and adjourned further hearing in the matter until November 25.
The dispute followed UNICAL’s decision in August to remove 214 of its 435 second-year LL.B students from the Faculty of Law.
The university had explained that only 221 students were formally admitted into the Law programme, while the affected students had initially secured admission into other departments before moving to Law.
UNICAL maintained that the students’ admission status could jeopardise their eligibility for admission into the Nigerian Law School.
However, the affected students argued that the university had accepted their fees, registered them for Law courses, allowed them to sit examinations and permitted them to progress in the programme.
They also claimed that the university directed them to undertake Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board regularisation, which they said they completed after paying the required fees.
Following their removal from the Faculty of Law, the students instituted a N5bn suit against UNICAL, its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Offiong Offiong, the Registrar and President Bola Tinubu.
They are seeking judicial protection for their continued studies in the Law programme.
The court’s latest order means the affected students are to continue participating in academic activities and accessing university facilities pending the determination of the substantive case.