Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, has expelled a student, Oladipupo Siwajuola, over allegations involving drug peddling, impersonation, and engaging in fetish practices.
The university’s Director of Marketing and Communication, Joshua Suleiman, confirmed the expulsion in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Siwajuola’s disappearance had earlier sparked concern when his mother, Fijabi Oyindamola Omotayo, raised alarm on Facebook on May 3, calling out the institution and accusing it of negligence.
After he was eventually found, the university revealed that he had exited campus without authorisation and disguised himself in a hoodie while leaving through the institution’s Teaching Hospital gate.
According to Suleiman, when Siwajuola returned to campus on May 15, he was invited by the Department of Secret Service for questioning, where he admitted to a series of misconducts.
“Among them was the purchase of black soap from a traditional herbalist for N100,000, which contradicted his mother’s earlier claim that she had given it to him to treat a skin condition. Siwajuola admitted that the soap was intended for ritual purposes, as part of a ‘Yahoo Yahoo Plus’ scheme, a slang term for internet fraud mixed with fetish practices.
“He revealed he was engaging in fetish practices in an attempt to get rich quickly.”
Suleiman also noted that the student confessed to selling drugs, borrowing N500,000 from a loan app to fund gambling, and using another student’s identity to open a bank account.
Further infractions included the unauthorised sale of his phone and misleading the buyer by claiming he had parental permission.
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Contrary to his mother’s claim that secondary school friends found him, the university clarified that a friend’s mother in Lagos had discovered Siwajuola was staying at her home and informed his family after seeing the uproar online.
Following internal investigations, the university concluded that Siwajuola was guilty of several offences: unauthorised campus exit, use of fetish materials, drug peddling, impersonation, dishonesty, and unauthorised sale of personal property.
“While we recognise the emotional weight of this decision, especially for the family involved, our foremost responsibility remains the safety and moral integrity of all students entrusted to our care,” Suleiman stated.
Though the institution had earlier hinted at a potential lawsuit over the mother’s online accusations, it has decided against legal action.
“These claims were not only false but also misleading.
“However, because of the responsible conduct shown by the student’s father, the university will not pursue a libel case at this time,” Suleiman added.
