The University in a memo signed by its Acting Registrar, Ambrose Odiase, said the suspension of academic activities became necessary following an emergency meeting of the university’s Senate in Ekpoma on Monday, to appraise protest by students that had run into days.

According to the management, “To prevent a total breakdown of law and order as well as the need to guarantee the safety of lives and property in the university community and its environs, the senate was left with no other choice than to direct an immediate suspension of academic activities.

“To this effect, all students residing in the hostels on campus are to vacate the halls of residence in the next 24 hours.

“This is an indication that no student should be seen in or around the halls of residence of the university by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday 5th September 2023.

It would be recalled that students of the University had been protesting an alleged increase in school fees for returning students for about four days.

The protest disrupted academic activities and a scheduled commendation service in honour of a late Professor of Economics, Moses Isunu Aliemen.

The situation led to the dissolution of the Student Union Executive. The university had in its various releases stated that there was no time the tuition fee of returning students was increased.

Meanwhile, the 40th Matriculation Ceremony of the University scheduled to be held on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, has also been postponed indefinitely.

In the suit numbered NICN/BEN/04/2022, dated June 22, 2022, the AAU chapter of the ASUU accused the management of the institution of contempt of court orders of February 2  and May 17, 2022, mandating the payment of January and February 2022 salaries of some members of ASUU, who were aggrieved by the biometric verification exercise.

The plaintiffs in the suit, alongside ASUU, were the Chairman, ASUU, AAU Ekpoma chapter, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele, and the Assistant Secretary, Dr. William Odion, against six defendants in the suit including the acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Asomwan Adagbonyin, and the acting Registrar, Mr. Ambrose Odiase.

Counsel to the claimants, Abayomi Thomas, in the suit, cited, ‘‘Motion on notice brought pursuant to Order 63, Rules 5 (1), 5(3), and 6 of the National Industrial Court Rules 2017,’’ and sought the intervention of the court to institute contempt proceedings against the management and subsequent reliefs to be granted to the plaintiffs as deemed fit by the court.

Recently, the AAU branch of ASUU and the management of the state-owned university have been at loggerheads over the suspension of union activities by the latter.

Edo State Government at its State Executive Council meeting on June 8, 2022, suspended all union activities across all state-owned institutions of higher learning, which was swiftly contested in court by ASUU.

The plaintiffs, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. William Odion had asked the court to determine whether the state government and other defendants in the suit had the power under section 40 of the Constitution and section 35(3) of the Trade Unions Act, to suspend or prohibit trade union activities in AAU.

The claimants, therefore, urged the court to declare the ban as “unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and same is ultra vires the powers of the defendants.”