Supreme Court flays UNILORIN over 15-year seizure of students’ degrees

After about 15 years of nerve-wracking battle, the Supreme Court has finally upheld the decisions of a Federal High Court in Ilorin, which declared the withholding of the academic records and degrees of two former students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) unlawful.

Delivering judgement in an appeal lodged by the University of Ilorin, the apex court said the seizure of Olanrewaju Akinola’s academic record and certificate since 1999 was a lawless exercise of power.

“It is anomalies such as has taken place therein that have given room for the breakdown of law and order for which the society has become the victim,” Justice Mary Peter-Odili held, dismissing the university’s appeal.

In a sister appeal by the university, Justice Kumai Akaahs of the Supreme Court frowned upon the withholding of the academic record and certificate of Akinola’s colleague, Rasheedat Adesina since 2001, saying the action was an affront to the law.

Akinola, a former student activist, had floored UNILORIN on June 21, 2006 when the Federal High Court, Ilorin, then presided by the late Justice Chukwura Nnamani, declared the withholding of his academic record and certificate unconstitutional.

The same court also found against the university when Rasheedat Adesina, another student activist, challenged the seizure of her academic record and certificate.

Ordering the immediate release of the students’ academic records and certificates, Justice Nnamani also asked UNILORIN to pay Akinola and Rasheedat N7 million and N5 million respectively as examplary damages.

Dissatisfied, UNILORIN appealled the two decisions, urging the Ilorin Division of the Court of Appeal to upturn Justice Nnamani’s verdicts.

But the appellate court dismissed both appeals in 2007, holding that the lower courts’ judgements were laid on sound judicial principles.

Again, the university appealed to the Supreme Court, urging the apex court to upturn both decisions.

But in separate unanimous decisions, the Supreme Court affirmed the verdicts of the Court of Appeal. With the apex court’s decisions, the university has exhausted its right of appeal in the two suits, which were handled by Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika of Citipoint Chambers pro bono (without legal fees).

Akinola agreed. “Although, justice in the case was delayed for over 10 years,” he said, “it was eventually not denied.”

He believed their victory in court was a triumph for student unionism. Despite the delay, he said, getting his degree certificate was still important to him.

Also hailing the judgements, Lanre Arogundade, Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos State, urged the university to comply with the verdicts without further delay.

Akinola and Adesina had successfully completed their courses of study in 1999 and 2001 respectively. But the then Vice Chancellor of UNILORIN, Professor Shuaib AbdulRaheem, who is now the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, instructed that their academic records and certificates be withheld over their involvement in student unionism.

Speaking on the judgements, Olumide-Fusika, counsel for both Akinola and Adesina, said he believed justice had been served despite the time it took for the suits to be finally determined. He said the travails of his clients were the price they had to pay for fighting for their colleagues and standing up for justice

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