UNIBEN Suspends Student Union After Attack on LP Candidate

The University of Benin has decided to indefinitely suspend its Student Union Government following an incident involving an attack on Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party candidate for the Edo State governorship, allegedly by certain students identified as members of the student union. The announcement came through the university’s Registrar, Ademola Bobola, in a statement released on Monday.

Effective Monday, April 29, 2024, the suspension was confirmed by the university management after reviewing a report from a panel investigating the events at the Faculty of Law and the University’s Senior Staff Club on April 12, 2024. The statement emphasizes the immediate implementation of the suspension and calls for the handover of all union properties to the Dean of Students’ Affairs by Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

In response to the suspension, a Caretaker Committee comprising representatives from various faculties, schools, and institutes has been established to oversee student affairs during the suspension period. The Vice Chancellor’s directive regarding the suspension and the transfer of union responsibilities has been communicated to the university community, urging compliance from the former union officers.