A Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State, has accepted audio evidence tendered by expelled student of the University of Ibadan (UI), Phillip Olatinwo.
Counsel to the university, Mr. Sunday Ajayi, had wanted the court to adjourn the case to enable him call the university’s security guard, who searched Olatinwo at the hearing of the Students’ Disciplinary Committee (SDC), as witness.
Ajayi had also prayed the court to reject the audio evidence, which accused principal officers of the institution of unfair hearing, on the basis that the plaintiff ought not to have recorded the proceedings.
Following the admittance of the audio evidence, it was played in the open court and the defendants’ counsel asked the court to discountenance it because it did not indicate the start and end of proceedings resulting in the expulsion of the plaintiff.
However, the court ruled that the defendants’ counsel would still have opportunity to bring in witnesses and defend the parties.
On March 6 last year, Olatinwo, a 400-level student activist of the department of veterinary medicine of UI was expelled by vice chancellor, Prof. Olayinka Idowu.
Olatinwo was expelled because the vice chancellor and the disciplinary committee claimed that he was not remorseful over allegation of disruption of dinner party organised by the students of Queen Idia Hall in the university.
According to the controversial audio recorded with a smartphone, the student was not expelled but suspended from academic activities for four semesters.
However, the student had maintained his innocence on the allegation, asking the panelists in the institution to prove otherwise.
Further hearing in the case comes up February 2019.