Gbenro Adesina
Justice J. I. Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, capital of Oyo State on Friday July 24, 2020 delivered judgement in favour of the University of Ibadan in a suit instituted by Phillip Opeyemi Olatinwo, a 300-level Veterinary Medicine former student of the Institution.
The Judge found the institution’s authority to be in order to have expelled him from the University.
Olatinwo was alleged of disrupting a dinner party organised by residents of Queen Idia Hall, a female Hall of Residence at the University, on Saturday November 15, 2015. He appeared before the Jointly Committed Offences Panel and later before the Students’ Disciplinary Committee of the University and was found guilty of the allegations preferred against him.
However, based on the unacceptable way he comported himself before the Committee and for not showing any remorse whatsoever, he was expelled from the University for grossly violating his Matriculation Oath, which he had sworn to.
Unsatisfied with the outcome, Olatinwo approached the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division, on the ground that he was not allowed to call his own witnesses who knew that he was not one of those who disrupted the dinner party on the said date.
In the course of the proceedings, the court had accepted audio evidence tendered by the expelled student, which was played in the open court.
Delivering his judgement, Justice Abdulmalik said the Court found the story of the University more credible and weightier than that of the Plaintiff.
He dismissed the case and the sum of N200,000 was awarded to the University against the plaintiff.
Reacting to the judgement, the University stressed that University degrees are awarded to students who have been found worthy in character and learning,, hence, the need for students to be of good character cannot be overemphasized.
However, the plaintiff has vowed to appeal the judgement.
In his reaction, Counsel to the Plaintiff, Barrister Femi Aborisade said, “Yes, we are appealing the judgement. The client has authorised us to appeal the judgement”.
