Court Orders UNICAL to Pay N55m to Engineering Students Over Unaccredited Programmes

A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has ordered the University of Calabar (UNICAL) to pay more than N55 million in damages to eight engineering students after ruling that the institution admitted them into programmes that lacked proper accreditation.

The judgment, delivered on Wednesday, March 4, by Justice R. O. Dugbo-Oghoghorie, brought an end to a legal battle that lasted nearly five years. The court described the university’s conduct as “fraudulent, reckless and deceitful,” noting that the affected students were misled into enrolling in programmes that had not been approved by regulatory authorities.

Akahi News gathered that the lawsuit, marked FHC/CA/CS/117/21, was filed in 2021 by Idiong Ekpedeme Godwin and seven other students popularly referred to as the “UNICAL 8.” They sued the university, its former Vice Chancellor Prof. Florence Obi, and four other defendants after discovering that their engineering programmes were not accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) or the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

How the Controversy Started

According to documents reviewed by Akahi News, the students were admitted into the Faculty of Engineering with the understanding that the programmes were fully operational and recognised by the appropriate regulatory bodies.

The plaintiffs told the court that faculty handbooks and public representations from the university created the impression that the programmes were legitimate and properly accredited.

Relying on those assurances, the students continued their studies, paid school fees and sat for examinations until they reached their 300 and 400 levels.

However, during a resource verification exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission, the students reportedly discovered that the programmes had not been approved. They were then asked to “step down” to the 200 level because the programmes lacked authorisation.

In some cases, departments within the faculty were later scrapped completely, leaving the affected students stranded without a clear path to graduation despite years already spent in the institution.

Court Rejects University’s Defence

During the proceedings, the university argued that the students should have understood how accreditation processes work and that they enrolled in the programmes voluntarily.

Justice Dugbo-Oghoghorie rejected that argument.

In the judgment, the court held that the university had a duty of care to disclose the accreditation status of its programmes before admitting students.

The judge stated that no institution should operate academic programmes without prior approval from the National Universities Commission.

“The sixth defendant recklessly and without regard allowed innocent students to fall victim to their acts,” the judge said, adding that the events surrounding the admissions showed clear bad faith.

Evidence presented before the court showed that full accreditation for the engineering programmes was only secured in the 2024/2025 academic session, several years after the affected students were originally expected to graduate.

N55 Million Compensation Awarded

In the final ruling, the court awarded N50 million in general damages and an additional N5.247 million in special damages to the plaintiffs.

The court said the compensation was meant to address the psychological trauma, academic stagnation and financial losses suffered by the students as a result of the university’s actions.

However, the judge declined the request to stop the operation of the Faculty of Engineering. The court noted that the programmes have now reportedly secured accreditation.

The request for the students to be absorbed back into their original departments was also rejected because the situation had been overtaken by events, particularly following the scrapping of some departments and the passage of time.

Lawyers React to the Verdict

Speaking after the judgment, counsel to the students, Barrister Ozinko Ozinko, praised the courage of the plaintiffs for challenging the institution.

“It is not easy to fight the status quo,” he said, adding that the decision sends an important message about accountability within Nigeria’s higher education system.

He noted that although the compensation provides some relief, it cannot fully replace the years lost by students whose academic programmes were disrupted.

One of the plaintiffs, Ekpedeme Godwin, described the ruling as a long-awaited relief.

“We suffered a lot of challenges during the period,” he said, recalling that authorities allegedly warned that the faculty could even be shut down if the dispute escalated.

“I was not satisfied with the situation, so I decided to seek justice,” he added.

Counsel to the university, Barrister Jonas Abuo, thanked the court for the judgment but declined to provide further comments when approached by journalists.

Wider Implications for Nigerian Universities

Education analysts say the ruling reinforces the importance of transparency and regulatory compliance within Nigeria’s university system.

Running academic programmes without proper approval from bodies such as the National Universities Commission and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria can expose institutions to legal liability and jeopardise the academic future of students.

Observers believe the judgment may also push universities to be more transparent about the accreditation status of the courses they offer.

For the affected students, however, the ruling represents both justice and a painful reminder of the years lost to an academic journey that should have been properly protected from the beginning.

By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News

Joseph Iyaji is a journalist, educator, and founder of Akahi G. International, Akahi Tutors, and Akahi News. Read more about him here.

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