UNICAL Senate Suspends Prof. Michael Takim Otu, Ag. Dean of Law Over Law School Mobilization Controversy
Fresh details have emerged on the circumstances that led to the suspension of the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Michael Takim Otu, following the 253rd meeting of the University Senate held on 22 January 2026.
Sources disclosed that the crisis originated from the 2025 Nigerian Law School mobilization exercise, during which several final-year law students with exceptionally high Cumulative Grade Point Averages, including CGPAs of 4.34, 4.32, and 4.12, were reportedly excluded from the list of students mobilized for law school.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the affected students initially presented their grievances to the Acting Dean, seeking clarification as to why they were not mobilized despite meeting and exceeding the academic requirements traditionally observed by the Faculty. However, no satisfactory explanation was offered, and the students were still not mobilized.
This development reportedly compelled the students to petition both the Public Complaints Commission and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Offiong Efanga Offiong. The petitions drew attention to what the students described as an unexplained and unjustifiable departure from established mobilization practices.
Sources further disclosed that the matter was formally presented to the University Senate in December 2025. In response, Senate constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate the complaints surrounding the law school mobilization process and to determine whether due process was followed.
At its meeting on 22 January 2026, the committee presented its findings to the Senate. Following deliberations on the report, Senate resolved to suspend Prof. Otu with immediate effect, pending further investigation. He was also referred to the University’s Disciplinary Committee for further inquiry and necessary action.
Sources further disclosed that the suspension was also informed by additional petitions from some students who had already been mobilized for the Nigerian Law School. According to these petitions, after the affected students had downloaded, completed, and submitted their law school forms through the Faculty, the Acting Dean, Prof. Otu, allegedly made a volte face and declined to forward their forms to the Nigerian Law School.
Sources alleged that the Acting Dean subsequently sought to replace these students with others by preparing a supplementary mobilization list. This action was reportedly justified on the grounds that the affected students’ results were not ready at the time of mobilization. However, our findings disclosed that the Senate fact-finding committee found this justification to be untrue. Investigations reportedly revealed that the students’ results had long been approved and were fully ready before the mobilization exercise, thereby undermining the basis upon which the supplementary list was prepared. These findings, sources said, further deepened Senate’s concerns regarding procedural irregularities, transparency, and adherence to established mobilization protocols within the Faculty of Law.
Further inquiries indicate that the University of Calabar has a mobilization quota of 170 students and that it has been the long-standing tradition of the Faculty of Law to present students for law school in strict order of academic performance, starting from the highest CGPAs. This practice, sources noted, was designed to reward merit and hard work.
Sources also disclosed that the former Acting Dean was unable to clearly explain the criteria applied in the mobilization process that led to the exclusion of students with such outstanding academic records. It was further alleged that the mobilization exercise was not processed through the Faculty Law School Committee, a body reportedly established by the previous Vice Chancellor to oversee and ensure transparency in law school mobilization.
There were also issues of financial impropriety. Several persons who spoke on condition of anonymity to our correspondent, alleged that there were allegations circulating within the Faculty that some students may have paid monies to individuals/intermediaries who claimed to be working for, or connected to, the Acting Dean, Prof. Otu, to facilitate their mobilization for law school.
The allegations were reportedly brought to the Acting Dean’s attention, but no known internal investigation or remedial action followed. These developments were said to have further unsettled the Senate during its deliberations on the matter.
Investigations revealed that prior to the Senate’s decision, the newly appointed Vice Chancellor had personally visited the Nigerian Law School to make representations on behalf of the affected students. Sources said the Vice Chancellor sought avenues through which the students, described as having “very high academic grades,” could be fairly considered for admission, noting that such students ought not to have been excluded under any known academic or administrative criteria.
Appointed on Dec 7 2024 by Prof. Florence Banku Obi, former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Otu acted for 13 months ad 15 days before his suspension on January 220, 2026.
In the wake of the suspension, the Vice Chancellor approved the appointment of Prof. Michael Ibanga, an expert in International humanitarian law, Jurisprudence and Legal Theory and Human Rights Law as Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law for a six-month period with effect from 22 January 2026. He has been tasked with restoring stability within the Faculty, reconciling factions, and ensuring compliance with established university procedures.
The unfolding developments have continued to generate concern within academic and legal circles, particularly regarding transparency, merit-based administration, and institutional accountability in law school mobilization processes.
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Disclaimer:
This report is based on information obtained from multiple sources and documents available at the time of publication. All allegations remain subject to investigation.
