A Federal High Court ordered Obafemi Awolowo University to restore a graduate’s correct “Pass with Credit” degree after unlawfully downgrading it, awarding her ₦5 million in damages for violating her rights.
A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) to correct the degree result of a graduate, Shekoni Jemima Oluwagbemisola, after ruling that the institution unlawfully downgraded her classification.
Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court held that the university violated the graduate’s fundamental rights by changing her result from “Pass with Credit” to “Pass” without proper justification. The court described the university’s actions as arbitrary and unacceptable for a reputable institution.
The court awarded the plaintiff ₦5 million in damages and an additional ₦800,000 to cover legal costs.
Oluwagbemisola, who graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation in Physiotherapy, told the court that her original result—showing “Pass with Credit”—was issued in November 2023 and publicly confirmed during the university’s 47th convocation. However, when she later applied for her certificate, she discovered that her grade had been reduced.
After failing to resolve the issue internally, she took legal action. The court found that the university failed to properly investigate the situation, did not publish her final results, and acted outside acceptable academic standards.
The judge ruled that the unlawful change caused the graduate hardship, disrupted her academic and career plans, and led to emotional stress, especially as she had already used the earlier result for postgraduate applications.
Citing legal precedent on abuse of rights, the court concluded that the university must issue a corrected certificate reflecting “Pass with Credit,” in line with its earlier records and official approvals.
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