The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has directed 214 law students to return to the departments where they were originally admitted following the discovery of irregularities in their admission into the institution’s Faculty of Law.

The decision was announced after a meeting involving the university management, officials of the Faculty of Law, the affected students, and executives of the Law Students’ Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), UNICAL Chapter.

According to the university, only 221 of the 435 students currently in the second-year (LLB II) class were duly admitted into the Faculty of Law through the approved admission process. The remaining 214 students reportedly gained access to the programme through transfers from other departments, a process the institution said does not meet the regulatory requirements for legal education.

The management explained that allowing the affected students to continue in the Faculty of Law could jeopardize their eligibility for admission into the Nigerian Law School, which only recognizes candidates admitted into accredited law programmes through approved admission procedures.

To address the situation, the university directed the affected students to return to their original departments. It also disclosed that the students’ portals had been temporarily locked to facilitate the transfer process.

In a bid to cushion the impact of the decision, the university announced a full refund of school fees paid by the affected students for the 2025/2026 academic session. It further approved free tuition for the 2026/2027 academic session in their respective original departments, with the cost to be borne by the institution.

The Law Students’ Association of Nigeria, UNICAL Chapter, acknowledged the emotional impact of the development on the affected students and appealed for calm. The association urged students to remain orderly and cooperate with the university as efforts continue to implement the decision.

The development has drawn attention to the importance of strict compliance with admission regulations in professional programmes such as Law, where adherence to approved admission procedures is a key requirement for progression to the Nigerian Law School and eventual qualification as a legal practitioner in Nigeria.