Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), has rusticated 37 students for one academic session, alleging their involvement in a WhatsApp group created to organize a protest against the university’s decision to introduce a third semester.
The affected students were accused of “criminal conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, and cyber-stalking.” The university’s Senate approved their rustication during its 123rd Regular Meeting on October 31, 2024, based on recommendations from the Students’ Disciplinary Committee.
In letters addressed to the students on December 9, 2024, the university instructed them to stay away from the campus unless authorized in writing. They are permitted to resume in the first semester of the 2025/2026 academic session but must do so with a parent or guardian and a letter of undertaking promising good behavior.
The Alliance of Nigerian Students Against Neo-Liberal Attacks (ANSA) has condemned the university’s actions, describing them as “tyrannical, draconian, and undemocratic.” ANSA’s National Coordinator, Joshua Temitope Oladepo, emphasized that students should not be punished for exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and has called for their immediate reinstatement.
Similarly, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has demanded the reinstatement of the rusticated students, criticizing the university’s actions as “violent intimidation.”
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) also expressed concern, stating that the university’s actions violate the students’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly as enshrined in Sections 39 and 40 of Nigeria’s constitution.
As of now, the university administration has not issued any further statements regarding the rustication.
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