In a significant development, the Council of Legal Education has imposed a 5-year moratorium on law admissions at Baze University, Abuja, due to consistent violations of approved quotas.
“It emerged from the findings by the Panel led by the Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, that: Baze University consistently and most flagrantly had contravened its admission quota of 50 students per session as approved by the Council of Legal Education with the result Baze University has admitted over 750 law students since 2017, exceeding its approved quota of 50 students per session.
Tis has resulted in the Faculty having a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.
Since 2017, the Council of Legal Education has been grappling with Baze University’s excesses by admitting over 750 law students, which would normally have taken about 15 years of admission based on the quota allotted to the University.
The Council of Legal Education also highlighted that Baze University improperly runs a 3-year law degree for some candidates, deviating from the accredited 5-year national benchmark curriculum. The council, chaired by Chief Emeka Ngige, emphasized that regulatory oversight must be maintained to uphold the standards of legal education in the country.
The moratorium serves as a corrective measure to address the backlog and compliance issues. The council has urged admission bodies like JAMB to inform prospective students about the temporary ban on law admissions at Baze University. The blanket moratorium has generated criticism, but officials stress the importance of regulatory intervention to ensure compliance with established standards.
During the 5-year period, the Council of Legal Education plans to work on resolving the backlog of law students admitted by Baze University in excess of its approved quota. Follow-up visits will be conducted to assess the measures taken by the university to remedy the observed anomalies during the accreditation visit.
The statement emphasizes the council’s commitment to protecting the interests of innocent students, parents, and guardians while upholding the integrity of legal education in Nigeria.
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