INCORRECT: Nigerian Law School Did Not Hike Tuition Fees For 2022/2023, Circulating Image Was Edited

ABDULRASHEED Hammad writes,

Claim

An image rocked social media platforms, claiming that the Nigerian Law School has hiked the 2022/2023 session school fees for Bar Part II applicants.

The viral picture of the purported school fees schedule of the Nigerian Law School surfaced online on September 8, 2022, indicating that the Nigerian law school has increased the school fees by 400%.

Purported fees schedule as circulated online 

The picture of the said fees schedule for Bar II in the 2022/2023 session appeared in a slip with the institution logo and its Abuja address. This image was not only circulated on Facebook but also on WhatsApp. 

Photo reappearing on WhatsApp

This image has generated anxiety among law students, the 2022/2023 Law School Bar Part II applicants, and the general public. 

People have been sharing the image on their social media timelines to express their shock at the sudden increment in the school fees by the Nigerian Law School. 

Law student expresses his concern

A Law student at the Ahmadu Bello University commented on the supposed increment via Facebook account, “DeReal Observer”, expressing his shock. 

“Omoo, I go tax all of una for this Facebook. All of una must pay. No be to shout barrister barrister anytime una see me. Even the obidents wey, not dey give shishi, you una must pay,” he posted jokingly on his Facebook timeline.

PEN PRESS UDUS Findings 

A document obtained by PEN PRESS UDUS from the official website of Nigerian Law School shows that the school fees for Bar Part I for Nigerians is ₦240,000, while foreigners pay ₦1,380,000. The school fees for Bar Part II for Nigerians is ₦296,000 while foreigners pay ₦1,970,000. 

Snapshots of actual fees schedule as obtained from the institution's official website 

The picture that surfaced on social media showed that the school fee for Bar Part II is ₦1, 210,000 instead of ₦296,000 in the official schedule of payment for Nigerian law school. 

DG of Nigerian Law School Debunks Claim

In an interview with Nigeria Lawyer, the Director General of Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Chiroma (SAN), he established that the claim of the alleged increase in the fees payable by students of the school for the 2022/2023 session is false.

Prof Chiroma described the viral schedule fees as the handiwork of the ‘criminally minded students who intend to extort their parents.’

He said: “These are students who want to cheat their parents. They went to do a letterhead paper to siphon money from their parents. From ₦292,000 to ₦1.3 million? It’s not even possible! They do this every year. These are students who want to extort their parents.”

The DG, however, noted that some students in the past have made fees of 3 million, and 4 million to defraud their parents, and parents are eager to pay up just to send them away from home. 

Verdict

PEN PRESS UDUS can conclude that the picture going viral on social media which showed that the Nigerian Law School has increased the school schedule for the 2022/2023 session is INCORRECT. The picture was edited with the letterhead of the Nigerian Law School but it did not emanate from the school.