The federal high court in Calabar on March 4 ordered the University of Calabar (UNICAL) to pay N55 million to eight former students admitted into the institution’s engineering programmes in 2021, which lacked accreditation.
In a judgment delivered by Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie, the presiding judge, the court described the university’s conduct as fraudulent, reckless, and deceitful.
The judgment brought to an end a five-year legal dispute filed in 2021 with suit number FHC/CA/CS/117/21 by Idiong Godwin and seven other students, collectively referred to as the UNICAL 8.
Defendants in the suit include the UNICAL, its former vice-chancellor, Florence Obi, and four other individuals.
The students approached the court after discovering that the engineering programmes into which they had been admitted lacked accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
According to the plaintiffs, the university presented the programmes as fully operational in its faculty handbooks and other public representations.
The students said it was only after they had progressed to their third and fourth years, paid their fees, and completed examinations that the NUC, during a resource verification exercise, directed them to revert to 200 level because the courses were not accredited.
They added that some departments were later discontinued entirely, leaving them academically stranded.
In its defence, the university argued that accreditation follows a process and claimed that the students were aware of the circumstances when they enrolled.
The institution also maintained that the students acted of their own volition.
However, Justice Dugbo-Oghoghorie rejected the argument and held that the university failed in its duty of care.
The court ruled that no institution should run an academic programme without prior approval from the NUC, adding that students ought to have been properly informed of the accreditation status before admission.
The judge further held that full accreditation for the programmes was only obtained in the 2024/2025 academic session, long after the affected students were expected to graduate.
Consequently, the court awarded N50 million in general damages and N5.2 million in special damages, citing the psychological distress and academic setbacks suffered by the plaintiffs.
The motion to halt programmes in the Faculty of Engineering was refused, as evidence before the court showed that accreditation has now been secured.
Also, the request to return the students to their former departments was declined on the grounds that events had overtaken the request, particularly with the discontinuation of some departments.
Reacting to the judgment, Ozinko Ozinko, counsel to the students, praised them for challenging the institution, noting that although the compensation offers some relief, it cannot fully restore the years lost.
Ekpedeme Godwin, one of the plaintiffs, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, saying the students endured significant hardship and intimidation before seeking redress in court.
On his part, Jonas Abuo, counsel to the university, expressed appreciation to the court but declined to comment further.
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