Caleb University shines at ACA/PILIWA moot court competition

Caleb University, Lagos, has once again affirmed its stature as a force in legal education following an outstanding performance by its College of Law at the recently concluded ACA/PILIWA Moot Court Competition for students in the country’s higher institutions. The highly competitive contest organised by the Advocate for Community Alternatives (ACA) in partnership with the Public Interest Lawyering Initiative for West Africa (PILIWA), was hosted at Caleb University’s Magodo City Campus and attended by law students from universities across the South-West part of Nigeria. The competition featured intellectually charged courtroom sessions marked by rigorous legal reasoning, persuasive advocacy and incisive judicial interrogation, with arguments covering international law, human rights and environmental law. Participants were assessed on depth of research, analytical clarity, eloquence and courtroom discipline. At the end of the keenly contested rounds, Lagos State University clinched first position with 75.5 per cent followed closely by Caleb University with 75.0 percent. The Olabisi Onabanjo University placed third while Crescent University, Abeokuta, University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan completed the top six. To cap Caleb University’s impressive performance in the contest, its student advocate, Haliyah Baruwa ( 400 Level), emerged the Best Oralist in the competition with her confidence and mastery of legal terms. The finals were adjudicated by a distinguished panel comprising Justice Eniola Fabamwo, Prof. Adedeji Adekunle (SAN), Dr. Adekunle Ojo (SAN), and Prof. Akinola Akintayo, who unanimously commended the high quality of advocacy on display. Justice Fabamwo described the students’ submissions as “impressive and promising,” noting that many of the participants demonstrated qualities befitting future leaders of the bar and bench. Speaking on the achievement, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, praised the students and faculty, stating: “This performance reflects our deliberate investment in academic rigour, character formation and global competitiveness. When excellence is institutionalised, success naturally follows. We are immensely proud of our College of Law.” The Dean of the College of Law, Dr. Olugbenga Asaaju, described the outcome as a product of discipline and purposeful mentorship. “Our students displayed poise, intellectual depth and persuasive advocacy. This result confirms that Caleb University is nurturing a new generation of outstanding legal minds,” he said. The Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, Mrs. Gloria Aigbadon, commended ACA and PILIWA for sustaining a platform that advances public-interest lawyering, adding that hosting the competition was a statement to Caleb University’s academic readiness.