{
  "id": 3272722,
  "title": "Atiba University DVC sparks outrage over remarks to protesting law students",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/atiba-university-dvc-sparks-outrage-over-remarks-to-protesting-law-3272722",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T13:56:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/atiba-university-dvc-sparks-outrage-over-remarks-to-protesting-law-students/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A senior official at Atiba University in Oyo State sparked outrage after referring to protesting law students as \"intellectually bankrupt\" during a demonstration against the university's Law program. The students were protesting the Council of Legal Education's decision to halt the programme for a decade due to facility deficiencies and alleged regulatory violations. In a video circulating online, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) urged the students to remain calm, but they countered that he should focus on the immediate crisis. The DVC then called the students \"intellectually bankrupt\" and insisted that the issue was not tied to the university's accreditation. The confrontation followed the CLE's decision to impose the moratorium, which left students and graduates concerned about their legal education prospects. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) criticized the university's management for ignoring student protests and called for the National Universities Commission to withdraw the university's licence.",
  "summary": "Atiba University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor sparked outrage after making remarks to protesting law students. The students were demonstrating over a 10-year moratorium imposed on the university's Law programme by the Council of Legal Education due to deficiencies in facilities and alleged regulatory violations, according to Punch.\n\nThe DVC, while addressing the students outside the university, described some of them as \"intellectually bankrupt\". He urged them to remain calm, stating that their future was uncertain and they should not talk \"rubbish\". The students, however, asked the DVC to focus on the immediate crisis affecting them.\n\nThe incident was captured on video and circulated online. The DVC's comments have been met with criticism, with the students appearing unimpressed by his response. The moratorium on the Law programme remains in place, with no further updates provided.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Atiba University DVC sparks outrage over remarks to protesting law students",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/atiba-university-dvc-sparks-outrage-over-remarks-to-protesting-law",
        "published": "2026-08-25T13:38:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}