495 Federal University Gusau Students Sue Management Over Alleged Failure to Refund NELFUND Fees
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Hundreds of students of the Federal University Gusau (FUGUS), Zamfara State, have dragged the university management before the Federal High Court over the alleged failure to refund registration fees paid through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Court documents obtained by our correspondent show that the suit was filed on behalf of 495 affected students by legal practitioner Tijjani Magaji, who is seeking judicial intervention to compel the university to refund the money allegedly owed to the students.
The respondents in the suit include the Federal University Gusau, the Vice-Chancellor, the Bursar, and the Director of Finance of the institution.
According to documents before the court, the students had earlier served the university with a 30-day pre-action notice dated April 27, 2026, notifying the management of their intention to institute legal proceedings if the issue was not resolved within the stipulated period.
The pre-action notice stated that the affected students were final-year students in the 2024/2025 academic session who had applied for and benefited from the Federal Government’s NELFUND student loan scheme for the payment of their registration fees.
The lawyers claimed that NELFUND subsequently disbursed the tuition funds directly to the university. However, some of the beneficiaries had already paid their registration fees personally before the loan was processed, making them eligible for refunds.
According to the notice, the university allegedly acknowledged the need to refund the affected students through appropriate channels, but the payments were not made, prompting the legal action.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Gusau Judicial Division, seeks judicial review and an order of mandamus compelling the university and its officials to carry out the refunds allegedly due to the students.
The legal action comes amid increasing scrutiny of tertiary institutions over the handling of NELFUND tuition payments. In recent weeks, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund warned that institutions withholding refunds meant for students could face legal consequences, insisting that beneficiaries who paid their fees before NELFUND’s intervention should receive their money back promptly.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of the Federal University Gusau had not publicly responded to the court action or the allegations contained in the suit.
