A former lecturer at the Federal University Dutse (FUD), Dr Ramla Muhammad Kamal, has dragged the institution and its Registrar before the Federal High Court in Dutse over her dismissal, seeking N120 million in damages for alleged defamation and breach of her employment rights.
The suit, marked FHC/DUT/CS/18/2026, challenges the legality of her dismissal from the Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Kamal is asking the court to declare her dismissal unlawful, arguing that the university breached the terms of her employment, denied her fair hearing and publicised her dismissal before officially serving her with the dismissal letter.
She also wants the court to compel the university to withdraw the publication describing her as an absconding staff member, publish a public apology and award her N100 million as general damages and N20 million as exemplary damages.
According to court documents, Kamal was granted study leave with full salary to pursue postgraduate studies at Universiti Putra Malaysia, which she completed in 2023.
She claimed she personally funded her tuition, accommodation, flights and other academic expenses with support from her family, alleging that the university only paid her salary throughout the study period.
The claimant further stated that after completing her studies, she sought a leave of absence to accompany her husband to the United States, where he secured a research appointment, while she planned to undertake a clinical pharmacology fellowship. She said the university rejected her request, stopped her salary in May 2024 and later dismissed her in June 2026 after disciplinary proceedings.
Kamal also alleged that reports of her dismissal and claims that she absconded from duty were published by several online media platforms before she received her dismissal letter, saying the publications damaged her reputation.
However, the Federal University Dutse and its Registrar denied the allegations in their joint defence.
The defendants argued that Kamal’s employment was governed by the Federal University Dutse Act, the university’s Conditions of Service, Study Leave Regulations and a study leave bond she voluntarily signed before travelling abroad.
They maintained that the university met its obligations by paying her salaries and approved emoluments during the study leave and had no legal obligation to cover her tuition, accommodation, travel or other personal expenses.
The university further alleged that Kamal breached the study leave bond by failing to return to Nigeria after completing her studies and instead remained in the United States without approval.
FUD also filed a counterclaim asking the court to declare the study leave bond valid and enforceable and order Kamal to refund N16,375,817.69, being salaries and emoluments allegedly paid to her during the study leave period.
According to the institution, the amount followed disciplinary proceedings conducted by its Governing Council in line with the Federal University Dutse Act and its Conditions of Service.
The university also denied defaming the claimant, insisting that the publication of her dismissal was lawful and carried out in compliance with directives from the Federal Ministry of Education concerning staff who abscond during approved study leave.
Both parties told the court they would rely on documentary evidence, including study leave approvals, the study leave bond, disciplinary records, correspondence, salary records and bank statements during the hearing.
The court is expected to determine whether the publication of Kamal’s name constituted defamation and whether her dismissal complied with the law.
