The Council of Legal Education of the Nigerian Law School has imposed a five-year ban on law admissions at Baze University Abuja.
The council accused Baze University, owned by vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba-Ahmed, of consistently violating approved quotas.
The Nigerian Law School said findings showed Baze University, founded by the Labour Party’s presidential running mate Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, was carrying over 347 backlogged law graduates awaiting admission.
The council stated that since 2017, the university has admitted over 750 law students, exceeding its 50 students per session allotment that should have taken 15 years to fill.
It added that Baze also improperly runs a 3-year law degree for some candidates instead of the accredited 5-year national benchmark curriculum.
Consequently, CLE has banned the university from law admissions for five years in the first instance, saying the period will enable resolving the backlog and compliance issues.
The council said follow-up visits would check if remedies have been implemented before considering lifting the sanction. It notified admission bodies like JAMB to steer prospective students away from the university temporarily.
The blanket moratorium despite the presence of innocent or unsuspecting students and parents has generated criticism. But officials say regulatory oversight must be upheld, promising that the students’ fate would be addressed.
The Acting Secretary and Director of Administration of the Nigerian Law School, Ms Aderonke Osho, who made this known, said, “At its Quarterly Meeting held on November 23, 2023, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) presided over by its Chairman, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, OFR considered the report of the Accreditation panel to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja.
“It emerged from the findings by the Panel led by the Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, that: Baze University consistently and most flagrantly had contravened its admission quota of 50 students per session as approved by the Council of Legal Education with the result that the Faculty is currently having a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.
Since 2017 the Council of Legal Education had grappled with the excesses of Baze University by admitting over 750 law students which ordinarily would have taken about 15 years of admission based on the quota allotted to the University.
“Baze University runs a three (3)-year LL.B programme for some UTME candidates without the approval of National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB and Council of Legal Education.”
The statement further noted that “Under the NUC Minimum Benchmark Academic Standard (BMAS) for law degree programme in Nigerian Universities, Law is a five (5)-year programme for UTME candidates and four (4)-year for Direct Entry students.
“The Council of Legal Education after thorough consideration of these infractions resolved as follows: The imposition of a moratorium on admission of law students to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja, with immediate effect;
“The moratorium will last in the first instance for a period of 5 years and may be renewed if no satisfactory action is taken to remedy the situation.
“The Council in the interest of the innocent students, parents and guardians will use the 5 year period to find ways to deal with the backlog of law students admitted by Baze University in excess of its admission quota.
“Follow-up visits will be paid to the university to ascertain the extent of the measures it has taken to remedy the anomalies observed during the accreditation visit.
“The National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Parents, guardians, prospective applicants, and members of the public are hereby put on notice on the status of Baze University Abuja and its faculty of law.”