300+ UNICAL Dental Students Risk Expulsion

Nearly 300 students from the Faculty of Dentistry and Dental Surgery at the University of Calabar face possible removal from the institution, with some already in their final year of study.

According to information obtained by The Nation, the looming crisis stems from allegations that the university exceeded its approved admission quota as sanctioned by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

Several affected students, speaking under anonymity and through posts on X (formerly Twitter), revealed they were recently served letters inviting them to a meeting with faculty leadership over what has been termed “non-regular” admissions.

The memo, dated ahead of a July 7 meeting, did not explicitly mention expulsion. However, many students fear it may be a veiled warning that their academic futures are in jeopardy.

Among the affected students, one identified as Shegzz (@SteveOsh2) on X shared his frustration, saying: “I’m currently in my fifth year studying dentistry. I’ve completed three MB exams successfully and have moved into the pre-clinical phase, expecting to graduate in under two years. Suddenly, we’re told the programme has lost accreditation due to inadequate facilities. For years, the university kept assuring us that everything would be in place before we graduate — empty promises. Now, after seven years in this journey, they’re suggesting we transfer to other schools, which doesn’t even address the core issue.”

Another student, Jack Collinsgaj (@xavage1919), also voiced his despair: “I’m in class 5B and have worked tirelessly to pass all my exams, including two professional stages. Now, my own university — which should be looking out for me — has crushed my future. This is beyond disappointing; it’s devastating.”

Another user on X, Jumbo Blessing (@Jumblessing), suggested that the issue was not an isolated case, claiming the university had a pattern of mismanaging admissions. “They pulled the same stunt with engineering and pharmacy students four years ago, and again with mass communication students three years back. This has become a yearly occurrence at UNICAL — they over-admit students, then lecturers fail them or force them into unrelated departments, or worse, abandon them entirely.”

One of the students currently caught in the crisis, who spoke anonymously, expressed frustration: “We’re already four years into this programme. We’ve paid tuition, completed clinicals, and passed our courses. Now, they’re telling us we were never supposed to be admitted in the first place?”

“We didn’t approve the admission quota, so why are we the ones bearing the consequences of the university’s error?” one aggrieved student asked.

Although the University of Calabar has yet to release an official statement addressing the situation, some students allege that internal pressure is being applied to keep them silent.

“They warned us not to speak to anyone about this — not even among ourselves,” said another affected student, expressing frustration. “But we’ve stayed quiet for too long. Our families have made sacrifices for our education. We deserve explanations.”

Attempts to contact the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, and the institution’s public relations officer were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not returned at the time this report was filed.