Atiba Varsity DVC Sparks Outrage After Calling Protesting Law Students ‘Intellectually Bankrupt’

A Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Atiba University, Oyo State, has come under heavy criticism after describing protesting law students as “intellectually bankrupt” during a demonstration over the institution’s embattled Law programme.

The students had staged a protest on Monday following the decision of the Council of Legal Education (CLE) to impose a 10-year moratorium on the university’s Faculty of Law over alleged regulatory violations and inadequate facilities.

In a video that surfaced online on Tuesday, the senior university official was seen addressing the students outside the campus, urging them to remain calm while warning them against confronting him.

“Let’s calm down. We’re all intellectual beings, so one day you might even find yourself in my shoes. So, don’t talk rubbish because you don’t know what your future will be,” the DVC said.

The remark immediately drew a response from the students, who insisted that the discussion should centre on the uncertainty surrounding their academic future.

“Sir, let’s focus on this one. Let’s focus on our present,” one of the students replied.

The exchange quickly escalated, with the DVC responding in harsher terms.

“Listen, listen! Many of you are intellectually bankrupt. When I say you don’t know what your future holds and you are replying to me, I’m a successful man! If you are able to be like me in life, thank your Almighty God! What are you talking about?” he said.

The comment was met with boos and outrage from the protesting students.

During the confrontation, another student displayed a document on a mobile phone and pointed to the date on the Council of Legal Education’s letter.

“August 19th, signed by the Secretary of Council of Legal Education, August 19th…” the student said.

But the DVC dismissed the relevance of the document’s date.

“Doesn’t matter! Just listen! Just listen! Whatever… noise will not help you. I’ve been shouting it. Noise will not help you! Crisis will not help you! There are some fundamental issues that you must understand. I showed a letter to one of you the other day,” he stated.

He also told the students that the issues affecting the Law programme existed before the university obtained accreditation, a statement that further angered the protesters.

“This thing is not just there online. It was there before our accreditation,” he said.

The protest followed the Council of Legal Education’s announcement that it had placed Atiba University’s Law programme under a 10-year moratorium after identifying serious deficiencies in the institution.

According to the council, the university’s facilities were “inappropriate and inadequate” for the establishment and operation of a Faculty of Law.

The CLE also accused the institution of admitting and graduating students without obtaining the necessary approval required under regulations governing legal education in Nigeria.

The decision has thrown the future of affected students and graduates into uncertainty, with many unable to proceed to the Nigerian Law School.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has thrown its weight behind the protesting students, accusing the university management of misleading students by continuing admissions into an unapproved Law programme.

NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde, shared another video on Tuesday which appeared to show the DVC climbing over a fence in an attempt to leave the university premises after students allegedly prevented him from exiting through the gate.

Reacting to the incident, Babatunde wrote,
“The Law Students of Atiba University made sure the DVC who spoke to them rudely and arrogantly during their protest yesterday could not leave the school until he escaped through the fence.

“This is the type of judgement that awaits all oppressors. We are in solidarity with the Law Students and we will join them to get justice.”

In a separate statement dated August 24, 2026, NANS condemned the university management for allegedly ignoring repeated complaints and interventions over the Law programme.

The association said, “It is rather appalling that despite the affected students’ continuous agitations and the intervention of the apex student representative body, NANS, the management of Atiba University, Oyo State, has paid no heed to these genuine agitations.
“Every sane individual must begin to question the integrity, efficiency, and competence of the management of Atiba University, Oyo State. We have it on record that despite the university’s inability to secure the recognition and approval of the Law programme by the Council of Legal Education, which has left graduates stranded and unable to proceed to the Nigerian Law School, the management is still admitting students into this programme.”

NANS called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to immediately withdraw Atiba University’s operating licence if the institution fails to address the issues.

The student body also demanded that the university provide a clear pathway for all eligible students and graduates to gain admission into the Nigerian Law School, warning that failure to act promptly could trigger further protests and nationwide student action.