Breaking: Abuja varsity banned from admitting law students for five years
- The Council of Legal Education has levied a ban on Baze University Abuja from admitting law students for a period of five years due to consistent violations of approved quotas. According to the Nigerian Law School, the university, established by Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, has accumulated a backlog of 347 law graduates awaiting admission and has exceeded the allotted 50 students per session since 2017, admitting over 750 law students.
Additionally, the university has been found to offer a 3-year law degree program for some candidates, contrary to the accredited 5-year national benchmark curriculum. The ban is aimed at addressing the backlog and compliance issues. The Council of Legal Education intends to conduct follow-up visits to ensure that corrective measures have been implemented before considering lifting the sanction. Prospective students are advised by admission bodies like JAMB to refrain from seeking admission to the university temporarily.
Despite criticisms, regulatory oversight is emphasized, with assurances that the fate of the affected students will be addressed. The Acting Secretary and Director of Administration of the Nigerian Law School, Ms Aderonke Osho, disclosed that the Council of Legal Education took into account the findings of the Accreditation panel to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, leading to the imposition of the moratorium on law admissions.
Moreover, it was revealed that Baze University had violated admission quotas, leading to the accumulation of the backlog of law students, and had run an unapproved 3-year LL.B programme. The moratorium will remain in effect for an initial period of 5 years and may be extended if corrective actions are not taken. Follow-up visits will be conducted to assess the measures implemented by the university to rectify the observed anomalies. The National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), parents, guardians, prospective applicants, and the public are urged to take note of the status of Baze University Abuja and its faculty of law.
