Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered the Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, and an admission-seeking applicant, Master Aondo Terdoo Caleb, to resolve an admission-seeking suit filed by the infant out of court.
The Judge on Friday issued them five hours to convene an emergency meeting and explore possible ways of settling issues amicably and report back to him between 4 and 5 p.m.
Justice Lifu invoked Section 17 of the Federal High Court Act, which empowers the court to promote, encourage, and facilitate the resolution of disputed issues out of court.
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 to the prestigious Loyola Jesuit College in 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.
Although the judge 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.
However, at Friday’s proceedings, Loyola Jesuit College, represented by P. E. Ediale, objected to the suit and sought an adjournment to enable him to fully prepare to respond to all issues raised against his clients.
Apparently moved by the plight of the admission-seeking infant, who was in court with his mother, Justice Lifu said that the circumstances before him demanded that he direct an amicable settlement of the admission dispute.
The judge said that it would not be good for the infant to begin on hostile grounds and pleaded with the lawyers in the matter to do everything humanly possible to convince their clients to shift grounds for an out-of-court settlement.
While expressing optimism that he would receive a positive report on the settlement, the judge said he would proceed with the case if his directive did not yield positive results.
At the time of this report, the authorities of the college and the parents of the infant, as well as their respective lawyers, had commenced the emergency meeting.
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.
However, after taking the submissions of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Matthew Burkaa in the ex-parte application, Justice Peter Lifu refused to compel the College to admit the applicant.
He instead invoked Order 26 Rule 8 of the Court to direct the defendants to appear before him on August 16 for their defense in the suit, especially to show cause why the request of the applicant should not be granted.
