Abuja, Nigeria— A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the University of Calabar to restore full academic access to 214 law students, ending, for now, a lockout that cut them off from their lectures and their portal.

Justice J. O. Abdulmalik granted an interlocutory injunction in a bench ruling, directing the university and the other defendants to give the students unrestricted access to lectures, the students' portal and academic facilities. The court also ordered the university to maintain the status quo until the substantive suit is heard and decided.

The order is temporary and does not settle the main case, but it means the students can return to class while the court examines their claim.

Related ArticleOkezie Ikpeazu formally takes up role as Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain→

The students, who are in the second year of the LL.B programme, say the university admitted them into the Faculty of Law between the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 sessions. They say they accepted their offers, paid their fees, registered for courses, wrote and passed examinations and completed JAMB regularisation, in some cases spending almost three sessions studying law.

On 5 August, the university told them to return to the departments where they were originally admitted. Vice-Chancellor Offiong Offiong said only 221 of the 435 students in the class were officially admitted into Law, and that those who entered through other departments would not be eligible for the Nigerian Law School under their current admission status. The university locked the students' portals and offered a refund of their 2025/2026 fees or free tuition for 2026/2027 in their original departments. The students rejected the offer.

They went to court on 12 August in Chidi Glad & 213 Ors. v. University of Calabar & 3 Ors. (FHC/ABJ/CS/1825/2026), naming the university, the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and President Bola Tinubu as defendants and seeking ₦5 billion in damages.

In their court papers, the students say none of them has been investigated or found guilty of any misconduct or examination malpractice. They argue that the university is punishing them for mistakes in its own administration, and they ask why the officials who handled their admissions and fee payments have not been held to account.

At Monday's hearing, defence counsel Jonas Abuo asked for an adjournment, saying the defendants had been served but could not file a response because the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar were out of the country. He said he had filed only a conditional memorandum of appearance.

Bernard Okpi Esa, the students' lead counsel, opposed the request. He told the court the defendants were served on 24 August and had used up the 30-day period allowed for a response. He urged the court to proceed or, if it granted an adjournment, to award ₦2 million in costs and allow the students to move their application.

After reviewing the motion, the judge ruled in the students' favour.

The students are represented by Okpi, with Confidence Mbang, Bennedict Otu, Udoh Ekanem and Kenneth Ibobo. The university's counsel are Abuo and Akiba-Eyo Veronica. The university has not publicly responded to the ruling.