Recently, an undergraduate student of the University of Abuja, Oladeru Samson Olamilekan rusticated by the university has decided to take defence step further by dragging the school management to the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to report, Olamilekan and his fellow student, Cyprian Igwe, were harassed and rusticated for calling for a meeting and demonstration against the recent hike in school fees.
It was gathered that, Igwe had urged Olamilekan and other students in a message posted on its WhatsApp group to protest against the hike in school fees.
According to court documents obtained by SaharaReporters, Olamilekan is seeking the enforcement of his fundamental rights to personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement as guaranteed under Sections 35, 36 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and Articles 6,7& 12(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
In the suit filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Tope Temokun, the 1st to 8th respondents respectively are the University of Abuja; the Council, University of Abuja; the Senate, University of Abuja, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’allah, Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja; Yahaya Mohammed, Registrar, University of Abuja; Alkasim Umar, Deputy Registrar, Academics, University of Abuja; Ibrahim Abdullahi Burga, Chief Security Officer, University of Abuja and Adamu Abubakar, OC Intelligence, University of Abuja.
The student seeks a declaration from the court in the suit filed on June 6, 2023, that his arrest and detention at the school’s Intelligence Unit from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 26, 2023, by the 8th Respondent (Abubakar) “for no just cause and without committing any offence known to law, constitutes a gross violation of the Applicant’s fundamental right to personal liberty.”
Olamilekan is also requesting an order “reinstating forthwith the Applicant as a bonafide student of the 1st Respondent (UNIABUJA), with all rights and privileges attached thereto.”
He also requests a perpetual injunction to prevent the Respondents, their agents and/or privies, or anyone acting through them or on their instruction from further arresting or detaining him, or “from further acting on the content of the letter or giving effect to or implementing the letter dated 26th May 2023 titled LETTER OF RUSTICATION.”
He has also requested that the court order and require the “Respondents, jointly and severally, to pay to the Applicant the sum of Fifty Million Naira (N50,000,000.00) only as general and exemplary damages for the aforementioned violation” of his fundamental rights.
(SaharaReporters)