Court restrains College from stopping teenager’s admission process
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, from stopping the admission process of a teenager, Master Aondo Terdoo Caleb.
The student had dragged the College before the court over an admission dispute.
Justice Peter Lifu issued the restraining order on Tuesday following the failure of the College to give convincing grounds upon which the request of the admission seeking applicant should not be granted.
The judge held that since the College and the teenager had joined issues and the College unable to show cause on why the prayer of the admission seeker should not be granted, the proper order to be made is to restrain the School from going ahead with its plan to stop the admission process.
Justice Lifu granted accelerated hearing into the matter and fixed August 30 for parties to appear before him for determination of the substantive suit.
The court had on August 16 directed the College and the teenager to explore the out of court settlement in view of the age of the applicant and the issue bothering on future of the teenager.
However, at Tuesday’s proceedings, the College and the applicant informed the judge that they were unable to resolve their differences and asked the court to proceed with the case before him.
Master Aondo Terdoo Caleb had dragged Loyola Jesuit College before the court seeking an order to compel the College to admit him as a student.
His mother, Mrs Ogooluwa Terkaa Aondo, instituted the case on his behalf against the College for the enforcement of his right to education and admission in Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja.
Joined as co-defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1114/2024 are the Principal of the College, Father Chikere Ugwuanyi, and the President, Rev Father Peter Chidolue.
In an ex-parte application brought before the court, the admission-seeking applicant had applied for an order of interim injunction to compel Loyola Jesuit College and its authorities to recognize him as their student.
He had also asked the court to direct the college to grant him every right, privilege, entitlement, and facility accorded to its students in Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS 1) to resume on August 20, 2024, without any limitation or restriction pending the hearing and determination of his motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The applicant had also prayed the court to restrain the principal and president of the College from denying him the right to education and giving his rights of studentship to any other person pending the hearing and determination of his motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.
Although the judge had refused to grant the ex-parte application sought by the infant, he instead invoked Order 26 Rule 8 of the Court to direct the authorities of the College to appear before him on August 16 for their defense in the suit against them.
Meanwhile, the main demand of the teenager is to be determined on August 30.
