Renewed Calls for Lagos Government to Reinstate Five Dismissed LASU Lecturers

Efforts to reinstate five lecturers dismissed from Lagos State University (LASU) have intensified, nearly seven years after their removal and more than four years after an appeal panel recommended their return.

The academics, widely referred to as the “LASU Five,” held senior positions in the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). They are Isaac Oyewumi (branch chairperson), Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu (vice-chairperson), Anthony Dansu (secretary), Adeolu Oluwaseyi Oyekan (assistant secretary), and Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare (treasurer).

On 12 September 2019, the university’s Governing Council dismissed them, citing unauthorised removal and sharing of confidential documents. The lecturers have consistently disputed the allegations.

In February 2022, an appeal committee chaired by then Deputy Vice-Chancellor Adenike Boyo reviewed the matter, cleared the lecturers of the charges, and recommended their reinstatement. The Governing Council approved the recommendation on 23 February 2022. Shortly afterwards, however, the same Council placed the recall on hold. The lecturers have not been reinstated since.

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This prolonged delay has led to repeated appeals, statements, and protests by the affected academics, ASUU members, and supporting groups. They continue to demand full implementation of the 2022 decision.

The lecturers recently renewed their call for unconditional reinstatement, describing the ongoing delay as unjust. Speaking on their behalf, Anthony Dansu reaffirmed their commitment to fairness and justice. He expressed appreciation for the support received and optimism that the matter will ultimately be resolved in their favour.

Attention has increasingly turned to the role of the Lagos State Government, given its oversight relationship with the university. In 2025, the Concerned Sons and Daughters of Ikoga-Zebbe Kingdom appealed directly to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The group urged him to intervene, lift what they described as an embargo on the reinstatement, and enforce the Governing Council’s 2022 resolution. They characterised the original dismissals as wrongful and called for a swift resolution.

As the situation remains unresolved without a public decision from either the government or the university, the affected lecturers and their supporters view the latest appeals as a demand for implementation of the already-approved reinstatement rather than a fresh review of the case.