OAU journalists demand immediate reinstatement of Suspended UI student.

Alfred Olufemi




The Association of Campus Journalists, Obafemi Awolowo University, has shown displeasure over the suspension of Kunle Adebajo, a student journalist, by the management of the University of Ibadan. They demand his immediate reinstatement.

In a release signed by Ogundokun Doyinmola and Oludiran Olusola, the President and the General Secretary of the Association respectively, it was stated that the university should reinstate him unconditionally.


"We the Association of Campus Journalists, OAU hereby recommend the school management of the Premier University, Ibadan to reinstate Kunle Adebajo unconditionally."

"We also recommend the school management to retrace and reverse their steps as we sternly  frown at journalists, student's victimisation." The release read.


As confirmed by OAU KILONSHELE , Kunle Adebajo, a student journalist and an award winning essayist was suspended few weeks ago for publishing a story ;UI: The Irony Of Fashionable Rooftops And Awful Interiors published, in the Guardian Newspaper in year 2016, by the management of UI.

The story as published by the Guardian revealed the dilapidated state of all halls of residence and the poor welfarism of the students in the Institution. And how the management has completely failed to provide a lasting  solutions to it. 

However, Kunle Adebajo, in a Nineteen Paragraph article dated '15-06-2018', he explained the genesis of the suspension and the aftermath of the published article after two years.

"Earlier this year, when the “Book of Life”, which contains the long list of graduates and their grades, was released, my name was visibly omitted. Rather, it was written alongside names of people with academic shortfalls or who were alleged to have committed examination malpractice among similar offences."

Kunle, a law student preparing to proceed to Law school, furthered, stating that;

 "On Thursday, May 24 2018, I finally faced the Central Student Disciplinary Committee. With my plea taken, I was told: “The Committee has advised the Vice Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor has approved that you are rusticated for two semesters”. I was also told typically that I could appeal to the Council within fourteen days [of receiving the verdict in writing."



"However, I plan to appeal to the University Governing Council as soon as I receive the letter of verdict from the Student Affairs. This I do for three reasons. One, to fulfil all righteousness, explore all internal mechanisms for remedy and leave little for posterity to say I didn’t do my best to get a fair trial. Two, because I have hope that the council shall determine the case fairly, having regard to the trite laws of the land and universal principles of justice. Three, because if my going to the Nigerian Law School never happens or gets delayed, I deserve to make that decision myself and not have it forced upon me."


Also, several campaigns on social media platforms have been put up by campus journalists nationwide to demand for his reinstatement.

One of the campaign team member, Olanrewaju Oyedeji, told our correspondent about the plans of the #FreeCampusPress team to intensify on the campaign until the suspension is reversed.

"We are going to continue again today." He said.

However, the Vice-chancellor of the University, Professor Idowu Olayinka, when contacted by journalists, affirmed that the student was suspended for a year.

"To err is human; to forgive is divine. We wish Kingsley every success in his academic career. It's bad enough that he has lost a year due to his indiscretion. Hopefully, lessons have been learnt in the process." he replied in a conversation.


"Some of these issues are better handled internally. There are laid down procedures for appeal, rather than over-dramatising it on the social media." He added.