Baze University Law Students in Limbo over 5-year ban on Law Admission

Law students at Baze University are expressing concern and anxiety over the recent actions taken by the Council of Legal Education, imposing a five-year moratorium ban on law admissions at the university. The ban was enacted due to the institution consistently exceeding its approved quota, admitting over 750 students into its law faculty since 2017.

In statements made in Abuja on Monday, students and graduates of the law program urged the university’s management to promptly address the situation to prevent further repercussions, particularly the impact on the future of the law program. The Council of Legal Education revealed that the university’s actions led to a backlog of 347 law graduates awaiting Law School admission.

Vanessa Adeh, a graduate awaiting Law School admission, expressed frustration, stating, “I graduated in 2022 and have been waiting to attend law school. The school said they are working to resolve the situation, but it’s taking longer. It really saddens my heart.”

Hadiza Umar, a current law student, voiced worry about the potential effects on her and her peers, urging swift resolution. Another student, speaking anonymously, emphasized the need for transparency from the university management, stating, “The greatest concern was that the university management has not told its side of the story and what it is actually doing about the issue.”

Usman Aliyu, a graduate from the law faculty, called on the school authorities to communicate the concrete actions being taken to remedy the situation.

The Nigerian Law School’s investigation also highlighted discrepancies, including a 3-year law degree program at BAZE University, conflicting with the five-year national benchmark curriculum. Efforts to obtain a response from Baze University’s management, owned by Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, were unsuccessful.

As the university faces this five-year ban on law admissions, students and graduates await decisive actions from the management to address the concerns raised by the Council of Legal Education.