Students of the Ogun State College of Nursing Science, Ilaro, have raised serious allegations of exploitation and extortion against the institution’s leadership, accusing officials of imposing illegal fees and neglecting basic welfare needs.
According to multiple students who spoke with SaharaReporters, the Student Affairs Officer and Class Coordinator for Basic Nursing 2, Blessed Ayobola Ojumu, alongside other officials, allegedly demand monthly payments ranging from ₦500 to ₦1,200 under the guise of “class purses.”
The fees, students say, are purportedly used to “entertain lecturers” during presentations and Practical OSCE exams—a justification many students find deeply troubling.
“Why should we pay for the welfare of lecturers in a government-owned institution when we already pay tuition fees?” one student questioned, expressing frustration at the unexplained financial demands.
Overburdened with Responsibilities
Beyond the fees, students allege that they are routinely tasked with outsourcing materials for nearly all course topics, which they must then present in class.
While presented as a learning exercise, students argue that the practice has become a means for lecturers to avoid teaching responsibilities, leaving learners overburdened and under-supported.
Adding to the grievances, students revealed that hostels have lacked electricity for over five months. Rather than addressing the power supply issue, the institution allegedly expects students to contribute money for generator fuel, further compounding the financial strain on learners already struggling to keep up with rising costs.
Allegations of Favoritism and Nepotism
Students are now calling on the Ogun State government and education authorities to intervene, insisting the alleged exploitation and neglect undermine the quality of education and welfare in the institution.
"The favoritism displayed by the institution's leadership is also alarming. The class representative of Basic Nursing 2 was instructed to mark all students who attended the Babcock University convocation to support the lecturers who convocated in the class register, despite some students being absent, while others were punished with night duty shifts for alleged absenteeism.
"This blatant display of nepotism undermines the institution's credibility and creates a toxic environment," a student said.
Another student told SaharaReporters that the recent convocation program at Babcock University, where students were told to pay transportation fees for the school buses to convey them to go and support their lecturers, including Blessed Ayobola Ojumu, is another example of the institution's leadership's exploitative tendencies.
Another student said, "The fact that some students were excluded from punishment while others were not is a clear indication of the institution's leadership's bias.
"It is imperative that the institution's leadership takes immediate action to address these grievances and prioritizes the welfare and education of its students. The exploitation and extortion must stop, and students must be provided with a conducive learning environment that fosters academic excellence.
"As the institution's leadership claims to be shaping students into better nurses of tomorrow, one wonders what kind of nurses they are producing. Are they producing nurses who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and compassion required to care for patients, or other nurses who are conditioned to tolerate exploitation and extortion?
"The students of Ogun State College of Nursing Science, Ilaro, deserve better. They deserve an institution that prioritizes their welfare, provides them with a conducive learning environment, and treats them with dignity and respect. It is time for the institution's leadership to take responsibility for its actions and ensure that students receive the education they deserve."
Controversial Class Fees and Lack of Accountability
Another aggrieved student told SaharaReporters that students in every class pay class fees. But the student questioned the reason for the payment.
The students said the money is claimed to be used for refreshments, markers, dusters, and other expenses that neither the student affairs officer nor the class coordinators clearly explained.
One of the students said, "The Basic Nursing Year II students pay ₦1,200 per month. Initially, we were about 78 or 79 students. Some left, but currently, we are 78, plus more post-basic students, making the total about 89.
"We’ve been paying ₦1,200 from Year I up until now in Year II. Last year, we protested and requested that the fee be reduced, but the class coordinator, Mrs. Blessed Ayobola Ojumu, who is also the Student Affairs Officer, insisted that it could not be reduced and that students had no say in how the money was used.
Mrs. Ojumu is a lecturer, the Year II class coordinator, and the Student Affairs Officer of the school.
“We protested again earlier this year, around April or May, and a poll was conducted in our class group. The options were ₦500, ₦1,000, or to maintain ₦1,200. Most students voted for ₦500, but instead of reducing it to ₦500, they decided on ₦800, effective from June,” a student said.
In a poll obtained by SaharaReporters, the majority of the students voted for N500.
The students also explained that another issue is accountability.
They said that since Year I, no proper account of the funds had been given until someone raised the issue.
"When the treasurer, nicknamed "CBN" (real name Osunowo Abimbola), was asked to present the financial records, she said she would start ‘from wherever she remembered,’" one of the aggrieved students said.
“Eventually, in April, she presented an account, but it was incomplete and confusing. Afterwards, she even sent a threatening message in the class group, warning students not to question her about the funds or face intimidation."
One of the conversations obtained by SaharaReporters revealed that Abimbola ‘CBN’ allegedly sent threatening messages to the students demanding accountability. She said, "Please ask me questions in a way that will please God. Freedom of speech wa oo...but freedom after speech sope lol...na to send you come Isale oko, alupa maku..(sorry to the non yoruba speakers)#no-oneisgonnaknow#.”
However, many students owe large amounts because of these unexplained fees.
A student stated, "For example, some students were allegedly owing ₦12,600, another student ₦17,000, another ₦16,000 plus, and one girl who recently lost her grandmother is owing about ₦18,000.
“Despite her situation, she was punished for missing classes due to the funeral, had her seat reassigned, and was reminded to pay the outstanding class fees.
"The treasurer claimed the fees were needed for upcoming exams and to buy refreshments for lecturers. At one point, they even used class funds to buy personal items, such as "Parara" for the coordinator, without students’ consent. Students protested repeatedly for the fees to be reduced, especially as living costs have risen sharply, but the coordinator ignored these protests.
"Those who spoke up in the class group were victimized. The coordinator openly confronted some students, asking if they knew they had "offended" her simply for suggesting a fee reduction."
Another student, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters that there was also a case involving a lecturer named Mr. Ayinde.
The student said, "The coordinator, Mrs. Ojumu, once held a Google Meet call where she alleged that Mr. Ayinde was involved with female students across different years.
“When he heard about this, she suspected that a student named Felicia had informed him and publicly humiliated her with false accusations. As a result, Felicia became stigmatised, fell into depression, and was even afraid to check her results because she feared she might be deliberately failed.
"Meanwhile, Mr. Ayinde denied there was any victimization in the school, even though this incident clearly showed otherwise.
"Many students are afraid to speak out because they fear victimisation, intimidation, or threats to withhold their certificates.”
"Payments are now mostly made via bank transfers to the treasurer, who is a student and a close friend of Mrs. Ojumu. Previously, both cash and transfers were accepted, but now cash payments are discouraged," the student added.
When SaharaReporters contacted the Student Affairs Officer and Class Coordinator for Basic Nursing 2, Blessed Ayobola Ojumu, she responded angrily, asking, “What kind of nonsense is this?”
She said, "That is a false accusation. Completely false. You can’t just call me and accuse me of something I did not do.
"They cannot allege such things about me. And you cannot call me on the phone to make such claims. If you want to confirm what is happening, you should come to me in person.
"No, you can’t call me like this. If you want to find out the truth, come and meet me face-to-face with the students making these allegations. Let them say it in my presence.”
"Please, don’t call me again about this matter. If you have any issue with the school or with students reporting to Sahara Reporters, the best thing is to come down to the school and investigate properly, not to be calling people over the phone to accuse them of what they didn’t do,” Ojumu said.
When asked if she meant the reporter should not have called her about the allegations, she said, “No, you can’t call me to confirm. It is not right. It is not appropriate. As a journalist, you are supposed to come to me directly, look me in the eyes, and ask your questions face-to-face.
"Because this whole thing is getting too much. I don’t understand why they reported it to you instead of addressing it properly in the school.
"If you really want to hear the truth, you should make findings from other students too. Did all the students in the school tell you the same thing? Did they all say I collected money from them?”
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