A former University of Ibadan law graduate, Mr Kayode Bello, has petitioned the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan to compel the Nigerian Law School and the Council of Legal Education to readmit him, nearly nine years after his expulsion.

The suit, which was filed before Justice Evelyn Maha, is scheduled for hearing on January 27. Bello has argued that his continued exclusion from the Law School violates due process and is unsupported by any provision of the Nigerian Law School’s code of conduct.

In an affidavit before the court, Bello maintained that new facts and documentary evidence have surfaced, casting doubt on the propriety of the disciplinary actions taken against him in 2017.

He alleged that a pardon letter issued in his favour was withheld by the then Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose, an action he said significantly affected his case at the Law School.

Bello further stated that he only gained access to a file copy of the pardon letter during his master’s programme at the University of Ibadan, raising concerns about transparency and fair hearing in the handling of his matter.

The applicant recalled that his expulsion from the Law School followed his public complaints over poor learning facilities at the Abuja campus. He also alleged that a court order allowing him to sit for his Bar final examination was disobeyed by the authorities of the Law School.

The respondents in the suit include the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; the Council of Legal Education; the Director General, Nigerian Law School, Dr Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote, the University of Ibadan; its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale and senior officials of the Faculty of Law.

Bello is seeking an order compelling the respondents to provide official responses to his August 17, 2022, request for intervention over his denied readmission.

He is also asking the court to declare that certain university officials denied him a fair hearing in matters relating to his participation in an academic programme in Switzerland, arguing that these events constitute material evidence connected to his expulsion.

In addition, Bello is claiming N100 million in general damages for alleged psychological trauma, hardship, loss of time and prolonged delay in completing his professional legal education.

The case adds to ongoing debates over students’ rights, institutional accountability and adherence to court orders within Nigeria’s legal education system.