lasuconscience
On 17th of May, 2025, 400-level FPY students of Agriculture of Lagos State University, Epe Campus, voiced out their plight regarding the ill treatment from the Dean of the Faculty.
The students have taken to the internet to lament the inhumane treatment allegedly being meted out to them without remorse by the Dean of the School of Agriculture, Professor O.T.F. Abanikanda.
Epe Campus is home to three disciplines: Engineering, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences. The students in question are in their 400 level and are currently undergoing their Farm Practical Year (FPY), a mandatory one-year internship program.
A viral video circulating online shows 400-level Agriculture students standing under heavy rainfall. Reports reaching Lasu Conscience indicated that the Dean was inside a pen house while subjecting the students to the downpour as a form of punishment.
The students claim that the Dean reportedly hurls curses at them without9 any clear reason and often threatens to tamper with their academic results if they fail to carry out his commands.
A 400-level student emphasized that the Dean showed no compassion:
“He made the students exceed their morning shift and kept them waiting for the evening shift, which was scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. When it started raining at that time, he and the 300-level students took shelter, leaving the 400-level students out in the rain as punishment. He released the 300-level students at 6:00 p.m. but made the 400-level students remain on the farm for an additional four hours as punishment for not bidding him goodnight, finally dismissing them at 11:00 p.m.”
There have also been reports of students fainting due to harsh weather conditions and working with little or no food from dawn to dusk. Additionally, they are reportedly forced to buy the farm produce.
Another pressing concern is the absence of a Student Union, as the Dean has allegedly banned student politics due to their persistent opposition to his dictatorial behavior. These actions have left students wondering whether they came to school to earn a degree or to serve as mere farmhands.
According to a tweet posted on X (formerly Twitter), 300-level students were also at the scene, as they are now being mandated by the Dean to join their seniors on the farm—despite the fact that it is not yet their time for FPY.
In a subsequent press release by EKO BULLETIN posted on X on May 19th, it states:
“We wish to acknowledge and commend the swift response of the Lagos State University Management in suspending the contentious FPY course and clearing several graduating students who were previously held back.”
EKO BULLETIN calls on the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to lend his voice to the students and intervene in the matter. It also urges the LASU Management to thoroughly investigate the Dean and ensure he faces disciplinary measures—not just before the school panel but also before relevant authorities of the Lagos State Government.
Akojede Oluwadamilola, Correspondence, LASU Conscience
