— Demands immediate reinstatement, accountability

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA – A passionate call for justice has been sent to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the leadership of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, the National Universities Commission, NUC, and other key stakeholders regarding the recent withdrawal of more than 300 dental students from the University of Calabar, UNICAL.

Dr. Anthony Chukwunonso Ude, a well-known advocate for justice, filed a formal petition alleging serious violations of student rights.

The petition also appeals to the leadership National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS and the Senate and Governing Council of the University and all stakeholders and relevant bodies to take swift action in ensuring the immediate reinstatement of the affected students.

Ude in the petition titled: “Re: Urgent appeal for intervention in the unjust withdrawal of Dental students at the University of Calabar,” appealed that no student should be punished for institutional errors beyond their control.

The petition partly read: “I write to you today (Tuesday) not with anger, but with anguish and a burning call for justice. A grave and disturbing academic injustice is currently unfolding at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), where over 300 dental students, including final-year students, have been abruptly sent home by the university authorities due to the institution’s failure to adhere to the admission quota set by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).”

Giving details of what transpired, Ude said: “The university, over a period of time, admitted far more students into its Faculty of Dentistry than it was authorized to—allegedly over 300 students when the approved quota was only 10 graduates per year.

“These students were registered, given matriculation numbers, billed millions in tuition, accommodation, and study fees, and have dedicated years of their lives to pursuing a noble medical profession. They have now been told, without fault of their own, to go home indefinitely.

“This decision was conveyed to students and parents during a meeting held on Thursday, July 10, 2025, following a memo from the College of Medical Sciences. No concrete resolution or plan for remediation has been proposed. Instead, the students are left in limbo—emotionally broken, financially drained, and mentally traumatized.”

He said the action of the university management is going to have a negative effect on the students and their parents.

According to him: “This is not just an administrative blunder; it is an assault on the lives and futures of innocent young Nigerians who entrusted their dreams to an institution that has now failed them.

“These students now face: Wasted academic years, psychological trauma,
Financial loss, uncertainty about their careers, stigmatization and hopelessness.”

He therefore called for the immediate reinstatement of the affected students, constitute an independent investigative panel that should be mandated to probe the over-admission, identify the culpable officials, and recommend appropriate sanctions.

He also demanded for a humane remedial measures which should be a transitional
framework to accommodate the affected students—through staggered clinical postings, inter-university transfer options, or special quotas—should be instituted with urgency.

To ensure that those behind the problem are brought to book, he said, “all responsible individuals must be held accountable to prevent a recurrence in any Nigerian tertiary institution. No student should be expelled or academically stagnated due to systemic regulatory lapses.”

Ude called on civil society, student unions, professional bodies, religious leaders, and all lovers of justice to rise in defense of these students.

He said: “Their voices must not be silenced, and their dreams must not be buried under bureaucratic rubble. Let this moment be a turning point in how we treat our youths and run our institutions. Education is not a scam. Human lives and destinies must not be collateral damage in the hands of negligence.”