A 20-year-old medical student of Madonna University, Nigeria, Miss Olowofela Abidemi Oluwabukola, has allegedly been prevented from leaving the institution over unpaid tuition fees, prompting a formal petition to relevant authorities and raising concerns about her safety and psychological wellbeing.
The student’s family, through their counsel, Tope Temokun, Esq., alleged that Abidemi, who gained admission into the university after scoring 310 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, had demonstrated outstanding academic performance before the crisis.
According to the statement issued on Thursday, Abidemi obtained five A1 distinctions in her O’Level examinations and reportedly maintained a 5.0 CGPA in her first year, earning a transfer into the university’s Medicine and Surgery programme.
The family explained that a sudden financial setback caused by her father’s illness made it difficult to complete the ₦3.5 million tuition required for the programme, despite what they described as substantial payments and appeals for time to offset the balance.
They alleged that the university barred the student from sitting four examination papers due to the outstanding fees.
Subsequently, Abidemi is said to have submitted a formal letter of withdrawal dated February 24, 2026, indicating her decision to discontinue her studies under the prevailing circumstances.
However, the family further alleged that after withdrawing, she was prevented from leaving the campus, with her exit allegedly made conditional upon payment of the outstanding tuition.
They also claimed that her name was publicly displayed over the unpaid fees, that she was excluded from academic activities, and left isolated within the university environment.
The family expressed concerns about her emotional and psychological state, stating that messages received from the student suggested severe distress arising from the situation.
A formal petition has been submitted to the Vice-Chancellor of Madonna University, Nigeria, the National Universities Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Federal Ministry of Education, urging urgent intervention.
The family is demanding her immediate and unconditional release and has called on the relevant authorities to investigate the matter.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of Madonna University, Nigeria had not publicly responded to the allegations.
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