Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) to correct the degree classification of a graduate, Shekoni Jemima Oluwagbemisola, after ruling that the institution unlawfully downgraded her result.
In its judgment, the court held that the university violated the fundamental rights of the plaintiff by altering her grade from “Pass with Credit” to “Pass” without any lawful basis.
The court consequently awarded N5 million in damages against the university, in addition to N800,000 as the cost of litigation.
Oluwagbemisola, a Physiotherapy graduate who obtained a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation (B.MR) in 2023, had approached the court in Suit No. FHC/OS/CS/107/2025, challenging what she described as an arbitrary change to her academic record.
The suit, filed through her counsel, Princewill Okoroafor of P. O. Okoroafor & Co (The Daniels Chambers), stated that the university initially confirmed her result as “Pass with Credit” in a Statement of Result dated November 23, 2023.
Her classification was also publicly announced during the institution’s 47th Convocation ceremony in December 2023, where she was listed in the official brochure as graduating with the same grade.
However, the discrepancy emerged when she applied for her original certificate and discovered that her degree classification had been downgraded to “Pass” by the university.
Following several unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue internally, she proceeded to seek legal redress.
Delivering judgment, Justice Demi-Ajayi described the action of the university as arbitrary and reckless, stating that it failed to follow due process and acceptable academic standards expected of a reputable institution.
The court also faulted the university for failing to publish the plaintiff’s final year results and for not conducting a proper investigation before making changes to her academic record.
The judge held that the unlawful alteration of the plaintiff’s grade clearly infringed on her fundamental rights and inevitably caused her significant inconvenience and hardship.
The court noted that such an action, carried out in disregard of established procedures, justified the award of damages against the institution.
Justice Demi-Ajayi further relied on judicial precedent, citing the appellate decision in Okafor & Anor v AIG Police Zone II Onikan & Ors (2019), to reinforce the position that victims of rights violations are entitled to compensation.
The court declared that the university is legally obligated to issue the plaintiff’s original degree certificate reflecting the correct classification of “Pass with Credit,” in line with its earlier official records and communications.
It also held that the alteration of the result disrupted the plaintiff’s academic and professional progress, noting that she had already relied on the earlier classification for postgraduate applications.
The court found that the circumstances would lead a reasonable observer to conclude that the plaintiff suffered emotional and psychological distress due to the university’s actions.
Consequently, all the reliefs sought by the plaintiff were granted, including an order directing the university to issue a corrected certificate consistent with the decision earlier approved by its Senate on November 20, 2023.
The ruling reinforces the obligation of academic institutions to uphold transparency, accuracy, and due process in the management of students’ academic records.
(NAN)
