The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has suspended a senior lecturer in the Department of Chinese Studies, Professor Ifeanyi Sunny Odinye, for three months over alleged sexual misconduct and breach of the institution’s regulations.

The decision follows a viral video that showed the lecturer being stripped and beaten by a group of students. He was accused of attempting to take advantage of a female student he had earlier apprehended for examination malpractice. The disturbing footage sparked outrage and prompted the university to set up a Special Investigative Panel to probe the incident and the circumstances surrounding it.

In a statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Aloysius Attah, the university disclosed that Vice Chancellor Professor Joseph Ahaneku Anyaehie approved the suspension after receiving a preliminary report from the six-member panel chaired by the Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Emmanuel Obidimma.

The panel’s initial findings focused on two of its five terms of reference and indicted Odinye for violating specific provisions of the university’s General and Academic Regulations. He was found to have failed to formally report the alleged examination malpractice involving the student, identified as Chikamso Favour Okechukwu, using the prescribed Examination Misconduct Report Form. The panel also faulted him for returning the mobile phone seized from the student during the examination on the same day, contrary to the rules governing handling of exhibits in misconduct cases.

The university further referred Okechukwu to the Students’ Examination Misconduct Committee for a separate investigation into her role in the saga.

According to the statement, three other critical issues remain under investigation: whether there was sexual harassment, the identities of those who physically assaulted Odinye, and whether any act amounting to kidnapping occurred during the confrontation captured in the viral video.

The committee has been granted an extended period to conclude its work and submit a comprehensive report with recommendations to the Vice Chancellor. The outcome could lead to additional disciplinary measures and possible criminal prosecution, depending on the findings.

The Vice Chancellor reaffirmed the university’s commitment to protecting both staff and students, stressing a policy of zero tolerance for unethical conduct, while also pledging transparency and adherence to the principles of fair hearing throughout the process.