A formal petition has been submitted to the management of Madonna University, Nigeria and key federal oversight bodies over what has been described as the alleged restriction of a 20-year-old medical student from leaving the university campus due to unpaid tuition fees.
The petition, signed by Tope Temokun, Esq., Principal Counsel to the family, was addressed to the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to the statement, Miss Olowofela Abidemi Oluwabukola, a first-class student who reportedly earned five A1 distinctions in her O’Level examinations and scored 310 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), was admitted into the university where she allegedly maintained a 5.0 CGPA in her first year before transferring into the Medicine and Surgery programme.
However, following what her family described as a sudden financial crisis triggered by her father’s illness, her mother was reportedly unable to complete the ₦3.5 million tuition fee required for the programme, despite making substantial payments and requesting additional time to balance the outstanding amount.
The petition alleges that the university barred the student from sitting four examination papers due to unpaid fees.
It further states that after she formally submitted a letter of withdrawal dated February 24, 2026, she was allegedly prevented from leaving the campus, with her exit reportedly made conditional upon payment of the outstanding tuition.
Her name was allegedly displayed publicly over unpaid fees, she was excluded from academic activities, and reportedly left isolated within the university environment.
The family, through their counsel, expressed grave concern over what they described as severe emotional distress suffered by the student as a result of humiliation and uncertainty surrounding her situation.
According to the statement, distressing messages received from the student raised urgent concerns about her psychological and physical safety, prompting the legal petition and public outcry.
Counsel to the family has issued what he described as an urgent demand for the “immediate and unconditional release” of the student.
The statement warned that failure to comply would result in the filing of a Fundamental Rights Enforcement action against the university, including claims for substantial damages for alleged violations of her constitutional rights to liberty and dignity, as well as claims of false imprisonment.
“This is how Nigeria, like a demented, has been sucking out its finest eggs,” the statement concluded.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of Madonna University, Nigeria had not issued an official response to the allegations.
Chronicles Reporters will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.