The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has reportedly continued its 2025/2026 admission exercise despite an interim injunction by the Federal High Court, Enugu, restraining it, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from releasing or approving admission lists.
Findings by our correspondent revealed that the university has been admitting candidates who performed well in the 2025 Post-UTME screening. One excited applicant confirmed the development, saying, “I was offered admission to OAU this Wednesday. I’m so happy.”
The injunction, issued on October 1, 2025, by Justice A.T. Segun Bello, followed a suit filed by five students — Chibuzor Success, Oyeleye Zainab Ayomide, Adedeji John Samuel, Monsura Aliat Aduragbemi, and Bassey Daniel Nsikak — representing other candidates who participated in the Post-UTME examinations at both OAU and UNILAG.
The plaintiffs urged the court to restrain the institutions and JAMB from uploading, approving, or finalising admission lists for the 2025/2026 academic session pending the hearing of their substantive motion. They argued that continuing with the admission process would jeopardise their rights and render the ongoing case nugatory.
Justice Bello subsequently granted an interim injunction, directing all parties to maintain the status quo until the court fully determines the matter. The judge also ordered that OAU, UNILAG, and JAMB be formally served with the court documents to enable them to file their responses.
Reacting to the development, OAU’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, said the university had not been formally served with the court order and therefore could not act on “reports circulating online.”
The case is slated for further hearing on October 28, 2025.
OAU had earlier conducted its online Post-UTME screening from September 1 to 5, 2025, for candidates who chose the university as their first choice in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and scored 200 and above, as well as Direct Entry applicants.
Meanwhile, legal experts say OAU may face contempt proceedings if it is confirmed that the university proceeded with admissions after being served with the injunction. The development has also sparked debates among education stakeholders about the legal limits of university autonomy and JAMB’s regulatory oversight.
