MEDICAL students of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), on Monday staged a peaceful protest over prolonged delays in the accreditation of the institution’s Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme, a development that has left many students stranded at the 300 level for more than two years.
The protest, which was scheduled to begin at 7:00 a.m. on May 18, 2026, eventually commenced around 9:00 a.m. due to rainfall, according to students who participated in the demonstration.
Students from 300 Level streams A, B and C, alongside students from 100 and 200 levels, converged at the university gate carrying placards with inscriptions such as: “Give us accreditation, time is going,” “Medical school does not stop in 300 level,” and “Don’t leave us in the dark.”
The demonstrators blocked the school gate, preventing movement into and out of the campus. Some members of staff arriving at the institution were reportedly unable to gain access during the protest.
The protest comes months after growing concerns among medical students over delays in accreditation exercises by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which students say has stalled their academic progression.
A previous investigative report by National Record had detailed how FUHSO medical students had remained in academic limbo due to unresolved accreditation issues.
According to eyewitness accounts, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), identified simply as Dr. Cecilia, was the first management official to address the students. She appealed for calm and urged the students to nominate representatives for dialogue with the university management.
“Calm down, you are my children,” she reportedly told the protesting students.
However, the students rejected the proposal, insisting that previous engagements through delegates had produced no meaningful outcome.
“We have been sending delegates, and nothing has happened,” some of the students responded.
The Registrar of the institution also appealed to the students to nominate representatives for discussions, assuring them that management was interested in their welfare.
“I am your parent, and I want the best for you,” the Registrar was quoted as saying.
Some students, however, accused sections of the university management of failing to adequately communicate efforts being made to resolve the accreditation crisis. They also alleged that some staff members mocked them and responded sarcastically to their chants during the protest.
The Vice-Chancellor later arrived at the protest venue and similarly requested that the students appoint delegates for discussions away from the school gate. The students again declined, insisting that discussions should take place openly.
“We don’t have any leader. Talk to us here,” the students reportedly told the Vice-Chancellor.
Efforts by the Vice-Chancellor to engage some students individually were resisted by other protesters, who continued chanting: “No, talk to us here!”
Witnesses said the Vice-Chancellor subsequently left the scene visibly upset.
Despite the tension, some management officials attempted to reassure the students. One official reportedly told the protesters that their concerns would be communicated appropriately and that they would not face victimisation for participating in the demonstration.
Another group of management staff reportedly defended the university leadership, telling the students that the Vice-Chancellor was “doing his best.”
In response, the students appealed for greater transparency from the institution.
“Please understand our plea. Our mates in other schools are almost graduating, and at the very least, we should be informed of what the Vice-Chancellor is doing. We should not be kept in the dark,” one protesting student said.
The protest eventually ended peacefully around noon after one of the management staff members, identified as Dr. Okopi, alongside the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), assured students that a general meeting involving the Vice-Chancellor and students would hold the following day in front of the university Senate Building.
The DPO also reportedly assured the students that they would not be victimised for the protest.
However, tensions escalated shortly after the demonstration ended when an internal memorandum dated May 18, 2026, began circulating among students. The memo, issued by the Office of the Registrar, directed 300-level MBBS students in streams A and B for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic sessions to immediately vacate the university premises and hostels “until further notice.”
The memorandum stated that the directive was issued on behalf of the university Senate and instructed the Dean of Student Affairs and the Chief Security Officer to enforce immediate vacation of the hostels.
Police personnel were reportedly deployed to the hostels to ensure compliance with the directive.
Students interpreted the memo as an attempt to intimidate protesters and suppress dissent.
Later in the day, however, the university management issued another memorandum reversing the directive and informing MBBS students that officials of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria would arrive on May 21, 2026, for accreditation exercises.
The subsequent memo instructed the affected 300-level students to return to their hostels on or before May 20 and stated that attendance during the accreditation exercise would be mandatory for all MBBS students.
The latest development has heightened anxiety among students, many of whom say they have suffered academic, emotional and financial setbacks due to the prolonged accreditation delays.
As of the time of filing this report, FUHSO management had not publicly issued a detailed explanation regarding the prolonged delay in the accreditation process or the circumstances surrounding the temporary evacuation directive.
