The University of Ibadan is facing mounting pressure as the pro-democracy group Take It Back Movement has demanded the immediate reinstatement of student activists Aduwo Ayodele and Olamide Gbadegesin. The students were recently suspended for protesting against what they described as arbitrary fee hikes and deteriorating campus conditions.

In a strongly-worded letter dated July 24, 2025, addressed to Vice Chancellor Prof. Kayode Oyebola Adebowale, the group condemned the university’s actions as a violation of fundamental human rights protected under the Nigerian Constitution.

“Their only offence was exercising their constitutional and democratic right to peacefully protest,” the group stated, adding that the move was “an attack on fundamental freedoms and academic integrity.”

The disciplinary action, which also includes the alleged intimidation of another student, Nice Linus, was carried out by the university's disciplinary committee under the direct supervision of the Vice Chancellor, according to the letter signed by Dimeji Salako, Acting Coordinator of the TIB Movement in Oyo State.

The group pointed to Sections 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended), which guarantee freedom of expression and association, as well as Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

“By this action, the University of Ibadan risks reducing itself from a citadel of learning to a citadel of tyranny,” the letter warned.

Demands from the Take It Back Movement include:

  • Immediate and unconditional reinstatement of Aduwo Ayodele and Olamide Gbadegesin

  • An end to the intimidation of Nice Linus and other student activists

  • A public commitment to dialogue and respect for student rights

The group concluded with a stern warning:

“Failure to meet these demands will leave us with no option but to launch a nationwide resistance in solidarity with the suspended students. The voices of students cannot and will not be silenced.”

This development comes amid growing concerns across Nigerian universities over rising tuition fees and what students describe as an increasingly authoritarian atmosphere on campuses.

Stay with Naija Blog for updates on this developing story.