Council Of Legal Education Slams 5-Year Admission Moratorium On Baze University Faculty Of Law Over Admission Quota Violation

The Council of Legal Education (CLE) has placed a 5-year moratorium on admission of students into the Faculty of Law at Baze University Abuja over consistently exceeding approved quotas since 2017.

In a statement on Thursday, the CLE disclosed that Baze University has admitted over 750 law students, more than 15 times its approved quota of 50 students per session. Currently, the university has a backlog of 347 law graduates awaiting admission to the Nigerian Law School.

The council also frowned at Baze University’s operation of a 3-year LL.B programme for some UTME candidates without approval from the National Universities Commission, JAMB and CLE. Law programmes run by Nigerian universities are mandated to be 5 years for UTME admission and 4 years for direct entry students under NUC’s Minimum Academic Standards.

Consequently, the CLE has imposed an initial 5-year moratorium on Baze University law faculty admissions beginning immediately. This may be renewed if no satisfactory actions are taken to remedy the violations.

The council however stated that it will explore ways to deal with the admission backlog in the interest of innocent students and parents during the moratorium period. Follow-up visits will also be conducted to assess the university’s remedial actions.

The statement signed by CLE’s Acting Secretary, Aderonke Osho warned all stakeholders including NUC, JAMB, prospective students and parents to take note of the status of the institution’s law faculty.

The full statement is as follows:

At its Quarterly Meeting held on November 23, 2023, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) presided over by its Chairman, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, OFR considered the report of the Accreditation panel to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja.

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 that the Faculty is currently having a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.

Since 2017 the Council of Legal Education had grappled with the excesses of Baze University by admitting over 750 law students which ordinarily would have taken about 15 years of admission based on the quota allotted to the University.

Baze University runs a three (3)-year LL.B programme for some UTME candidates without the approval of National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB and Council of Legal Education. Under the NUC Minimum Benchmark Academic Standard (BMAS) for law degree programme in Nigerian Universities, Law is a five (5)-year programme for UTME candidates and four (4)-year for Direct Entry students.
The Council of Legal Education after thorough consideration of these infractions resolved as follows:

(i) The imposition of a moratorium on admission of law students to the Faculty of Law, Baze University Abuja with immediate effect;

(ii) The moratorium will last in the first instance for a period of 5 years and may be renewed if no satisfactory action is taken to remedy the situation.

(iii) The Council in the interest of the innocent students, parents and guardians will use the 5 year period to find ways to deal with the backlog of law students admitted by Baze University in excess of its admission quota.

(iv) Follow-up visits will be paid to the University to ascertain the extent of the measures it has taken to remedy the anomalies observed during the accreditation visit.

(v) The National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Parents, guardians, prospective applicants and members of the public are hereby put on notice on the status of Baze University Abuja and its faculty of Law.

Dated at Abuja this 23rd of November 2023.

Ms Aderonke Osho
Ag. Secretary & Director
Of Administration.