Lawyer to Tinubu: Stop UNILAG Students’ Trip to Russia or Face Court

By Charles Maduka

A lawyer, Chief Adekunle Funmilayo, has threatened to sue the University of Lagos (UNILAG) if it does not halt its plan to send some students to Russia for a year. He has also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene.

Chief Funmilayo stated that the university intends to send 17 second-year Russian language students to Russia as a requirement to progress to their third year. These students, who commenced their studies in the 2021/2022 academic session, are being told they must spend a year in Russia as part of their degree in Russian Language.

“The ongoing war in Russia is a source of fear and concern for the students and their parents,” Funmilayo wrote. He added that it is not safe to travel to Russia while it is at war with Ukraine.

The lawyer also claimed that the students were told they must go to Russia or face expulsion. He argued that the university did not consider the financial burden of travelling to Russia during a time of economic hardship or the stress this imposes on the students.

In his letter to President Tinubu, Funmilayo pointed out that the difficult economic situation and unstable foreign exchange rates were disregarded by the university when insisting that the students go to Russia. “The expected cost may reach N20 million or more. Why should the university force these poor Nigerians to endure such hardship to earn a degree in Russian?” he asked.

He noted that the students were not informed from the outset that a year in Russia would be mandatory. Even if this requirement were necessary, he argued that it should not be strictly enforced given the current war and economic challenges.

Funmilayo urged President Tinubu to intervene and suggested that the students be allowed to either switch to other courses or complete their third year without going to Russia. “They are Nigerians and deserve to be treated with dignity in their pursuit of higher education,” he wrote.

The lawyer copied his letter to various authorities, including the National Assembly, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and top officials at UNILAG. He warned that he would take legal action if the university does not address the issue within a week.