Lagos State University (LASU) has relieved Professor O.T.F. Abanikannda of his duties as Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Epe Campus, following serious allegations of inhumane and degrading treatment of final-year students under his supervision.
This decision came shortly after sustained advocacy and intervention by the Lagos State Chapter of the Take It Back Movement (TIB).
In a development widely welcomed by students and rights advocates, Dr. Oladele Ojuromi has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture.
The Take It Back Movement Coordinator, Lagos State Chapter, Adekunle Adeyemi Taofeek, confirmed the development in an official update dated May 26, 2025.
He credited the outcome to the Movement’s proactive engagement and commitment to defending the rights of the affected students.
“After TIB’s intervention in the ongoing LASU crisis, the management has relieved Prof. O.T.F. Abanikannda of his duty and appointed Dr. Oladele Ojuromi as the new Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture,” Taofeek stated. “You can see the joy on the students’ faces! Abanikannda has been a tyrant for five years and a sore in the neck of the students. Victory is ours.”
In a subsequent update provided to the press, Adeyemi expressed satisfaction with the outcome, describing it as a major victory for LASU students. He noted that after years of what he termed “tyrannical leadership” under Professor Abanikannda, students can finally breathe a sigh of relief. “Justice has prevailed at Lagos State University. The oppressive reign of Prof. Abanikannda is over, and in his place, Dr. Oladele Ojuromi has been appointed—a welcome change for students who have long endured victimization and anti-student policies,” Taofeek stated. He added that the TIB Movement took up the matter with full force, mobilizing and organizing for change. “Today, the joy is visible on students’ faces. This is what people power looks like,” he concluded.
The issue began after the Take It Back Movement, Lagos State Chapter, exposed harrowing accounts from 400-level students of the Faculty of Agriculture, who made it known that Professor Abanikannda had subjected them to degrading conditions as part of their final-year project.
Further Reports described how students were forced to live in makeshift tarpaulin shelters on the school’s farm for over a month, denied access to hostels, and subjected to hard manual labour under threats of failure.
In one instance, the students were reportedly punished for incomplete farm tasks by being made to stand in the rain for over 16 hours. Audio evidence obtained by the media also captured Professor Abanikannda threatening students with retribution after the matter became public, accusing them of rebellion and promising consequences for anyone who reported him.
Following widespread public outrage, the Take It Back Movement formally petitioned the LASU management on May 20, 2025.
In response, the university assured the public of an internal investigation into the allegations. TIB then welcomed the swift response, pledging its full cooperation in the interest of justice.
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