The Federal High Court in Calabar has ordered the University of Calabar (UNICAL) to pay N55 million to eight former students enrolled in the university’s engineering programmes in 2021, which were later found to lack proper accreditation.
Justice Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie, who delivered the judgment, described the university’s conduct as “fraudulent, reckless, and deceitful”, bringing to an end a five-year legal dispute filed under suit number FHC/CA/CS/117/21 by Idiong Godwin and seven other students, collectively referred to as the “UNICAL 8.”
The defendants in the suit include UNICAL, former Vice-Chancellor Florence Obi, and four other individuals.
The students approached the court after discovering that the engineering programmes they were admitted into were not accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) or the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). According to the plaintiffs, the university presented the programmes as fully operational in faculty handbooks and public statements.
It was only after the students had progressed to their third and fourth years, paying tuition and completing examinations, that the NUC directed them to revert to 200 level due to non-accreditation. Some departments were later discontinued entirely, leaving students stranded academically.
In its defense, UNICAL argued that accreditation is a process and that students enrolled at their own risk. The court rejected this claim, ruling that the university failed in its duty of care and should have informed students of the accreditation status before admission.
Full accreditation for the programmes was only obtained in the 2024/2025 academic session, long after the affected students were expected to graduate. The court awarded N50 million in general damages and N5.2 million in special damages, citing the psychological distress and academic setbacks suffered by the students.
Motions to halt the engineering programmes or return the students to their former departments were refused, as some departments had been discontinued and the accreditation process has since been completed.
Reacting to the judgment, Ozinko Ozinko, counsel to the students, praised their courage in challenging the university, noting that while the compensation provides some relief, it cannot fully restore the lost years. Plaintiff Ekpedeme Godwin expressed satisfaction, emphasizing the hardship endured. UNICAL’s counsel, Jonas Abuo, thanked the court but declined further comment.