A Christian faith based Babcock University, located in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, has announced the expulsion of a student, Oladipupo Siwajuola, citing a series of grave infractions ranging from fetish practices and drug peddling to impersonation and dishonesty.
The disciplinary action follows a controversy that gained national attention in early May 2025, after Siwajuola’s mother alleged on social media that the university had failed in its duty of care, suggesting negligence in her son’s reported disappearance.
In an official statement issued Wednesday and signed by the institution’s Director of Marketing and Communication, Dr. Joshua Suleiman, the university, owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, categorically denied any lapse in security or care.
Instead, it asserted that Siwajuola had orchestrated his own exit from campus on April 28, 2025.
Disguised in a hoodie, he reportedly slipped out through the university’s teaching hospital gate without authorisation.
“His disappearance was not accidental, nor was it the result of any institutional negligence. It was a deliberate act accompanied by multiple violations of the Babcock University Student Handbook”, the statement said.
Siwajuola was returned to the university by his father on May 15, 2025.
According to the statement, upon his return, he was debriefed by the university’s Security Services Department and later appeared before the institution’s Disciplinary Committee, voluntarily admitting to several serious offenses.
Among his confessions was the purchase of a black soap from a traditional herbalist for N100,000, intended not for skincare as his mother earlier claimed, but for ritual purposes associated with a “Yahoo Yahoo Plus” scheme, a term describing internet fraud that incorporates fetish elements.
The university further disclosed that Siwajuola admitted to peddling drugs, taking a N500,000 loan via an online platform to fund gambling activities, and impersonating a fellow student in order to open a bank account.
He also sold his personal phone without proper authorisation, misleading the buyer into believing the transaction had parental approval.
Contrary to the mother’s narrative that her son had been found by his secondary school friends, the university clarified that it was the mother of a friend Siwajuola was hiding with in Lagos who discovered him and informed his family, prompted by growing media attention.
After a thorough investigation, the university concluded that Siwajuola had committed multiple violations, including:
- Unauthorised departure from campus
- Engagement in fetish and ritual practices
- Drug peddling
- Identity impersonation
- Dishonesty
- Unauthorized sale of property
Citing its commitment to upholding safety, discipline, and moral standards in accordance with global best practices, the university said it was left with no choice but to expel the student.
“We understand the emotional difficulty of this decision for the family involved. However, our primary responsibility is to protect the integrity and wellbeing of our student community”, Dr. Suleiman noted.
The university also addressed the social media backlash that followed the initial reports of Siwajuola’s disappearance, particularly the allegations made by his mother. Describing her claims as “sensational and unfounded,” the institution said they were misleading and damaging.
“In light of the dignified and cooperative conduct of the student’s father, the university has decided not to pursue legal action for libel at this time,” the statement concluded.
