BREAKING: Appeal Court Gives University Of Ibadan 48 Hours To Resolve Student’s Withheld Master’s Degree Case

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan has directed the University of Ibadan (UI) and a postgraduate student, Kayode Bello, to begin immediate reconciliation efforts over the prolonged dispute surrounding the withholding of his master’s degree.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The directive was contained in an official document dated June 29, 2026, and obtained on Tuesday. The letter, referenced CA/IB/MBA/VOL.II/63, was signed by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, Maryam Belgore Ahmed, and addressed to the university’s Registrar.

According to the document, the order was made during proceedings on Monday in Appeal No. CA/IB/427/2025.

The case arose after the university allegedly blocked Bello’s access to his master’s student portal, preventing him from completing the graduation process.

Bello had earlier secured victory at the Federal High Court in Ibadan, where the court ordered the University of Ibadan and its officials to restore access to his student portal and allow him to graduate.

However, the university appealed the judgment instead of complying with the order, leaving Bello unable to complete his academic programme.

At Monday’s hearing, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Abraham George, alongside Justices Binta F. Zubairu and Fadawu Umaru, opted to encourage an amicable resolution rather than prolong the legal battle.

The appellate court directed representatives of the University of Ibadan and Bello to meet with the Deputy Chief Registrar to work out the terms of an out-of-court settlement.

The parties were given a strict 48-hour deadline, with the meeting ordered to take place on or before July 1, 2026.

According to the court document, the representatives are expected to meet with the Deputy Chief Registrar to develop modalities for resolving the issues arising from the appeal.

The correspondence was transmitted through the appellants’ legal representatives, Chief Ladapo Ladosu (SAN) & Co.

The mediation session has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the office of the Deputy Chief Registrar at the Court of Appeal complex in Adeoyo, Ibadan.

The Deputy Chief Registrar also urged the university to treat the court’s directive with utmost urgency and attached a certified copy of the proceedings to the notice.

The Court of Appeal subsequently adjourned the matter until July 3, 2026, for a report on the outcome of the settlement efforts. The court indicated that if mediation fails, it will proceed to hear the pending applications, subject to its schedule.

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Ibadan recently ordered the University of Ibadan to reinstate three students who were suspended for protesting an increase in tuition fees.

In that judgment, Justice Nkeonye Maha nullified the decision of the university’s Central Student Disciplinary Committee, holding that the disciplinary process breached the affected students’ constitutional right to a fair hearing.