Court orders Loyola College to admit teenage applicant

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, to recognize a teenage admission-seeker, Master Aondo Terdoo Caleb, as a student of the college.

The judge issued the order following a motion ex-parte filed by Caleb through his mother, praying the court to grant him all rights and privileges as a student of the college.

Caleb had dragged Loyola Jesuit College before the court, seeking an order to compel the College to admit him as a student.

His mother, Mrs. Ogooluwa Terkaa Aondo, instituted the case on his behalf against the college for the enforcement of his right to education and admission to the prestigious Loyola Jesuit College in Abuja.

Joined as co-defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1114/2024 are the Principal of the College, Father Chikere Ugwuanyi, and the President, Rev. Father Peter Chidolue.

Recall that Justice Lifu had directed an amicable settlement of the admission dispute between the school and the teenager.

The judge said that it would not be good for the teenager to begin on hostile grounds and pleaded with the lawyers in the matter to do everything humanly possible to convince their clients to shift grounds for an out-of-court settlement.

While expressing optimism that he would get a positive report on the settlement, the judge said that he would proceed with the case if his directive did not yield positive results.

However, the settlement ordered by the court failed, and the parties returned to court.

In an ex-parte application brought before the court, the admission-seeking applicant applied for an order of interim injunction to compel Loyola Jesuit College and its authorities to recognize him as their student.

He also asked the Court to direct the College to grant him every right, privilege, entitlement, and facility accorded to its students in Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS 1) to resume on August 20, 2024, without any limitation or restriction pending the hearing and determination of his motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.

The applicant also prayed the court to restrain the Principal and President of the College from denying him the right to education and giving out his rights of studentship to any other person pending the hearing and determination of his motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.

In the order of interim injunction issued on Wednesday, but sighted on Thursday, Justice Lifu ordered the school to recognize the teenager as a student of the school.

Justice also ordered an accelerated hearing on the matter, considering the nature of the suit, which borders on rights violations.

Meanwhile, the suit is fixed for August 30 for the commencement of hearing on the substantive suit.