How Suspension of Prof. Michael Takim Otu Exposes Deep Corruption in UNICAL Law Faculty

The suspension of the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Professor Michael Takim Otu, has thrown up troubling questions about transparency, fairness, and accountability in one of Nigeria’s most respected law faculties.

 

 

What initially appeared to be a routine administrative dispute over the 2025 Nigerian Law School mobilization exercise has now evolved into a full-blown institutional crisis, exposing what many stakeholders describe as deep-seated corruption and abuse of discretion within the Faculty.

 

At its 253rd meeting held on January 22, 2026, the University Senate took the extraordinary decision to suspend Prof. Otu following the submission of a damning report by a Senate-appointed fact-finding committee. The committee had been tasked with investigating multiple petitions submitted by aggrieved students over how the mobilization exercise was conducted. The findings, according to documents reviewed, painted a disturbing picture of arbitrary decision-making, lack of due process, and actions that allegedly undermined the long-established merit-based system of the Faculty of Law.

 

High-Performing Students Excluded

 

Central to the controversy was the shocking exclusion of some final-year law students with outstanding academic records. Among those reportedly left out of the mobilization list were students with Cumulative Grade Point Averages (CGPAs) of 4.34, 4.32, and 4.12—scores that ordinarily would have placed them comfortably at the top of any merit-based selection. These students, by all existing Faculty standards, met and even exceeded the requirements for mobilization to the Nigerian Law School.

 

Yet, despite their qualifications, their names were conspicuously absent from the list forwarded by the Faculty. When questioned about the exclusions, Prof. Otu was reportedly unable to provide a clear, consistent, or convincing explanation. This lack of clarity only deepened suspicions among students and observers that the process may have been manipulated for reasons unrelated to merit.

 

For months, the affected students were left in academic limbo, uncertain about their future and unable to proceed to law school. Frustrated by the silence and perceived injustice, they petitioned the Public Complaints Commission as well as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Offiong E. Offiong. In their petitions, the students accused the Acting Dean of acting arbitrarily and departing from the Faculty’s long-standing procedures, which prioritize academic excellence and transparency.

 

Senate Steps In

 

The growing discontent eventually reached the University Senate in December 2025. Alarmed by the gravity of the allegations and the potential damage to the University’s reputation, Senate constituted a fact-finding committee to thoroughly investigate the matter. The committee was mandated to examine the petitions, review relevant documents, and establish whether the mobilization exercise complied with approved guidelines.

 

However, as the committee carried out its work, even more troubling allegations surfaced. Fresh petitions emerged from another group of students—those who had initially been mobilized for the Nigerian Law School. These students claimed that after they had downloaded, completed, and submitted their law school forms through the Faculty, Prof. Otu allegedly refused to forward their documents. Instead, they were informed that their names might be replaced through a supplementary list.

 

The justification reportedly given was that their academic results were not yet ready at the time of mobilization. But the committee’s findings contradicted this claim. Evidence presented to Senate showed that the results of the affected students had been approved well before the mobilization exercise commenced. This revelation effectively undermined the rationale for withholding their forms or attempting to substitute them through a supplementary list.

 

Breakdown of Due Process

 

Beyond individual cases, the committee’s report raised broader concerns about systemic failures and the absence of transparency in the Faculty’s administrative processes. It was alleged that the Acting Dean could not satisfactorily explain the criteria used in compiling the mobilization list. Even more alarming was the revelation that the entire exercise was allegedly not routed through the Faculty Law School Committee—a statutory body established to provide oversight, ensure compliance with regulations, and safeguard against abuse of power.

 

Investigations further revealed that the University of Calabar has an approved quota of 170 students for the Nigerian Law School and that the Faculty of Law has, over the years, adhered strictly to presenting students in order of academic merit, starting from those with the highest CGPAs. This practice was designed specifically to eliminate discretion, prevent favoritism, and uphold the integrity of the Faculty.

 

The alleged deviation from this established system has therefore raised serious questions about motive. Critics argue that once discretion is introduced into a process that should be purely merit-based, the door is opened for corruption, nepotism, and undue influence.

 

Institutional Embarrassment

 

Perhaps the most telling indication of the seriousness of the crisis was the reported intervention of the Vice Chancellor himself. Before the matter was finally resolved by Senate, Prof. Offiong E. Offiong was said to have personally visited the Nigerian Law School to advocate on behalf of students who had been unfairly excluded. Such a move, rare at that level of university administration, underscored both the gravity of the situation and the institutional embarrassment it had caused the University of Calabar.

 

For many observers, this intervention highlighted the extent to which the actions of the Faculty leadership had damaged the University’s standing and threatened the future of innocent students.

 

Suspension and the Way Forward

 

After extensive deliberations on the committee’s report, Senate resolved to suspend Prof. Michael Takim Otu with immediate effect. He was also referred to the University Disciplinary Committee for further investigation, signaling that the University intends to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.

 

In the interim, Professor Michael Ibanga was appointed Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law. He has been given a clear mandate to restore order, enforce due process, and rebuild confidence in the Faculty’s administrative systems. Stakeholders within and outside the University are now watching closely to see whether this change in leadership will mark a genuine turning point.

 

A Test for Accountability

 

The UNICAL Law Faculty crisis has become more than just an internal administrative issue. It is now seen as a test case for accountability in Nigeria’s public universities. Students, parents, and academics alike are calling for reforms that will ensure transparency, protect merit, and prevent the concentration of unchecked power in the hands of a few individuals.

 

As investigations continue, many hope that the suspension of Prof. Otu will not be the end, but rather the beginning of a broader effort to clean up systemic abuses and restore trust in one of Nigeria’s foremost law faculties.