UNILORIN students protest as court bars contractor from disputed land

Students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Ilorin, in Kwara State, on Wednesday, protested against the excavation of part of a road on the university’s main campus, saying the construction work was disrupting movement and could affect academic activities.

The protest, led by the Students’ Union President, Adam Mozeed, came as the university secured an interim injunction restraining Craneburg Construction Company Limited and other defendants from further clearing, construction, development or trespass on a disputed portion of land between the institution’s College of Health Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy.

The order, issued on 11 November by the Upper Area Court 1, Ilorin, followed the university’s ex parte application.

The court granted the application and restrained the company, persons whose names were unknown, their agents and anyone acting through them from carrying out further activities on the land pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.

The court adjourned the case, suit number UACI/CVF/1173/2026, to 16 November for the hearing of the motion on notice.

Students demand explanation

Before the protest, the students’ union leadership mobilised students to gather at Lagos Male Hostel, from where they were expected to march at about 3 p.m.

In a video of the demonstration, Mr Mozeed said the protest was meant to express students’ dissatisfaction with activities on campus, particularly the excavation of a road used by students.

He said the affected route served students of the College of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmacy, among others, and that its closure would cause inconvenience and disrupt their movement to classes.

“We are going to their classes, as well as they will go. We have two campuses of the University of Ilorin, the main campus,” he said.

The students’ union president questioned why the university had allowed the work to begin without adequately consulting students or explaining how long the disruption would last.

“We don’t know how long it’s even going to take. There was no problem with stakeholders’ engagement,” he said.

Mr Mozeed also accused university management of failing to involve students in decisions affecting their welfare.

“We don’t see any people coming and breaking our roads. We are students of the University of Ilorin. We plan surely against this, and we call on the university management to explain as to why this is happening on our campus,” he said.

He said the union expected the management to engage students and explain the reasons for the construction work.

The students also called on the contractor, or the relevant government authority responsible for the project, to explain its activities on campus.

Court restrains contractor

The injunction was granted following an ex parte application dated 11 November and supported by affidavits, including an affidavit of urgency deposed to by Paul Ogidi.

The university sought an order restraining the defendants from further activities on the disputed land pending the determination of its motion on notice.

In its ruling, the court ordered:

“THAT an interim injunction is granted restraining the Defendants, their agents, privies or any other person deriving power or authority through them from further clearing, constructing, developing or trespassing on the Plaintiff’s land lying, being and/or situate in between the Plaintiff’s College of Health Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy at University of Ilorin pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously with this motion.”

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The order was signed by the judge, S. H. Ajumobi.

The court’s decision is interim. It does not constitute a final determination of ownership of the disputed land or the substantive rights of the parties.

Craneburg Construction Company Limited and persons whose names were not identified in the court documents are listed as defendants.

The protest and the court order have raised questions about construction activities on the university campus and communication between management, contractors, and students.

The court is expected to hear the university’s motion on notice on 16 November.