Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, has dismissed a student, Oladipupo Siwajuola, over what it described as “gross violation of university rules,” including involvement in fetish practices, drug peddling, impersonation, and dishonesty.

Siwajuola’s disappearance became a trending topic in early May 2025, after his mother took to social media alleging that the university failed in its duty of care.

In an official statement released on Wednesday, and signed by the university’s Director of Marketing and Communication, Dr. Joshua Suleiman, the university revealed that Siwajuola had deliberately exited the Ilishan-Remo-based campus on April 28, 2025, without authorisation, disguising himself in a hoodie and sneaking out through the university’s teaching hospital gate.

“His disappearance was neither accidental nor the result of negligence by the university.

“Rather, it was a deliberate act, laced with a series of misconducts that violate the Babcock University Student Handbook,” the statement read.

The institution disclosed that Siwajuola was returned to campus by his father on May 15, 2025, and was invited by the Security Services Department for a formal debrief.

In his voluntary written statement, which was later corroborated before the Disciplinary Committee, he reportedly confessed to several acts of misconduct.

“Among them was the purchase of a black soap from a traditional herbalist for N100,000, which contradicted his mother’s earlier claim that she had given it to him to treat a skin condition.

“Siwajuola, admitted that the soap was intended for ritual purposes, as part of a ‘Yahoo Yahoo Plus’ scheme, a slang term for internet fraud mixed with fetish practices.

“He revealed that he was engaging in fetish practices in an attempt to get rich quick.

“He also confessed to drug peddling, borrowing N500,000 from an online loan app to fund gambling, and impersonating another student to open a bank account,” the statement said.

The statement further noted that Siwajuola had sold his personal phone without authorisation and misled the buyer by claiming that his father had consented.

In contrast to his mother’s public claim that her son was found by his secondary school friends, the university revealed that it was Sodiq’s mother, the parent of a friend he stayed with in Lagos, who discovered his presence in their home and alerted his family after noticing the growing online controversy.

Following investigations, Babcock University stated that Siwajuola was found liable for multiple offences, including unauthorised exit from campus, possession and use of fetish materials, drug peddling, impersonation and dishonesty, unauthorised sale of personal property.

In line with its disciplinary policies and global best practices, the university said it had no choice but to dismiss Siwajuola with immediate effect.

“While we recognise the emotional weight of this decision, especially for the family involved, our foremost responsibility remains the safety and moral integrity of all students entrusted to our care,” Suleiman said.

The university also expressed displeasure over the “sensational and baseless accusations” made by the student’s mother on social media, accusing the institution of complicity in the boy’s disappearance.

“These claims were not only false but misleading.

“However, in view of the responsible conduct shown by the student’s father, the university will not pursue a libel case at this time,” the statement added.