The National Industrial Court in Akure has ordered the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), to pay N40 million in damages to Prof. Niyi Akingbe, a former Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts, for wrongful dismissal.

Akingbe, a critic of FUOYE’s leadership under ex-Vice Chancellor Kayode Soremekun, was dismissed in 2018 over allegations of plagiarism. The court found his termination unjust, citing a lack of evidence and procedural violations.

Justice K.D. Damulak ruled that FUOYE failed to follow due process outlined in its regulations and the FUOYE Act of 2015. Notably, the disciplinary committee report justifying Akingbe’s dismissal was signed days after the termination letter was issued.

The court declared the dismissal null and void, ordering FUOYE to pay the damages within 30 days, with a 10% annual interest for non-compliance. Justice Damulak criticised the university for failing to provide specific details of the plagiarism claims, stressing that the allegations lacked merit.