A student in his final year at the Akwa Ibom State University Ekpo Iniobong says he will take legal action against the varsity over his suspension and subsequent expulsion.
Mr Iniobong, a student of the department of agricultural engineering, was first suspended in September 2020 and then expelled via a letter dated April 9, 2021, for allegedly criticising the state governor Udom Emmanuel in a Facebook post.
PUNCH learnt that the student sent a pre-action notice to the vice-chancellor of the institution Prof Nse Essien dated June 18, 2021, seeking his immediate and unconditional reinstatement, among other demands.
The notice signed by Iniobong’s lawyer Inibehe Effiong also demanded “payment of the sum of N20m to our client, representing damages for the gross breach of our client’s fundamental human rights and the resultant depression he has suffered.”
The student said he had taken his first semester final year exams and had met the students’ disciplinary committee.
According to him, “They didn’t prove in any way that there was any defamation of character.”
The university’s spokesman Akaninyene Ibanga declined comments when contacted by the newspaper.
