Ajayi Crowther students accuse varsity of wrongful expulsion

Some students of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, are threatening to challenge the institution’s authority over their expulsion on what they claim are trumped up charges and accusations against them in a grand design to throw them out of the faith-based institution.

Parents of the students are accusing the university authorities, particularly the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dapo Folorunsho Asaju, of wrongful accusations and witch-hunting.

However, Asaju, who doubles as the Bishop Theologian of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria, said the decision of the university’s council is final and there is no going back on the expulsion of the students.

Some parents are kicking that due process, as laid down in the school’s Students Handbook of Information and Regulations was not followed in expelling the students, who are mostly accused of taking hard drugs, which is a criminal offence. On April 11, 2017, the school authorities was said to have the names of 70 students to appear before the university disciplinary committee on the following day April 12, 2107.

One of the affected students, Tosin Aiyemoniafe, 18, a 300-level student of the department of Business Administration, shared his experience when he appeared before the committee: “On the evening of April 11, a list of about 70 students was published to appear before the disciplinary committee on April 12, 2017 by 9a.m. I did not bother to check the list because I never thought my name could be there. It was about 8:45a.m. when a friend called me and asked why I was not at the disciplinary committee. I had to attend as instructed.

During the interrogation, I was surprised that they wrote an allegation that I was caught smoking Indian hemp on a Wednesday of November 2016. I was asked to defend the allegation. I simply told them that I have never smoked even cigarette in my life and I was asked to go”.

Aiyemoniafe alleged that the school authority said he was found with Indian hemp in November 2016 but waited till April 2017 to sanction him.

Another student, Olanrewaju Segilola, also faced the disciplinary committee on charges of throwing water on the V.C., and smoking Indian hemp. He however denied the accusations.

The V.C. declined to speak on the issue. He said he and any other person in the institution, was not in any position to discuss the issue, as the matter has been decided by the University Council.