UNIZIK STUDENT ASSAULTS LECTURER, GETS EXPELLED FROM THE UNIVERSITY

In a press statement released from the office of the vice chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa, a student identified as Goddy-Mbakwe Chiamaka Precious has been expelled from the school, following her altercation with a lecturer identified as Dr. Chukwudi Okoye.

The official expulsion letter which was dated 13th February, 2025 read as follows:

‘The Management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, wishes to update the public on the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings regarding the recent incident involving Dr. Chukwudi Michael Okoye, a lecturer in the department of theatre arts and film studies.

1. The actors involved were given a fair hearing by the Students Disciplinary Committee, after a thorough review by the committee (SDC), the act committee by Goddy_Mbakwe Chiamaka Precious, a 300-level student in the department of History and International studies, was deemed a gross misconduct and a violation of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Students Disciplinary Regulations, particularly Regulation 4 (SDR)

2. Based on the committee’s findings and recommendations, the acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof Joseph I. Ikechebelu, on behalf of the university senate, has approved the immediate expulsion of Goddy-Mbakwe Chiamaka from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

3. She is required to vacate the University premises immediately and return all university property in her possession.

4. The university management, under the leadership of Prof. Joseph I. Ikechebelu, remains committed to maintaining the integrity of the institution by upholding discipline, ensuring a safe and conducive environment for learning, and fostering the development of scholars and leaders in character and excellence.’

Backstory 

In a TikTok video which gained popularity on social media, on 11th February,2025, Goddy-Mbakwe Chiamaka was seen engaging in a physical struggle with a lecturer Dr. Chukwudi Okoye. The scene which took place at the Faculty of Arts, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, was soon filled with a crowd of people who tried to intervene.   From the video, the student, who was busy with her phone and making a TikTok video on the passage, was interrupted by the lecturer with a tap on the shoulder and an ‘excuse me’. 

This action made Chiamaka react in a seemingly rude manner, saying words like “can you imagine and who does he think he is?” Hearing this, the lecturer reportedly turned back to confirm if she was one of his students and seized her phone as a punishment, which made her go berserk on him. As seen in the video, she locked his shirt, hit, and left bite marks on his arms, while he tried to free himself and onlookers tried to intervene. 

However, netizens have reacted differently on the matter, while some blamed the lecturer for tapping her in the first place, many disapproved of her overreaction and disregard. 

Following the viral video and people’s reactions, the 300-level student released a statement to explain her side of the story. According to her, following the push from the lecturer and her whispered response, the lecturer tried to grab her phone, which she resisted until the phone fell and broke. Following this, she was grabbed at her breast region, with her cleavage exposed. This, according to her, caused her to bite his hand and grab his shirt which accidentally got torn. She claimed she didn’t know he was a lecturer and narrated the helplessness, faintness and disrespect she felt when the lecturer tapped her.

Moreover, the matter was taken up by the university’s disciplinary committee and the result of committee’s meetings, after providing an opportunity of fair hearing to both parties, was the student's expulsion from the university.

Realizations and Embedded Lessons

From the statement released by Chiamaka, some inconsistencies were noted, in that she claimed she had no idea the man she had a fight with was a lecturer, yet she mentioned exclaiming to her friend that a lecturer pushed her. Also, there were exaggerations in her expressions, as she tried to turn the narrative into a sexual harassment one. Knowing fully well that matters involving sexual harassment is not taken lightly she tried to use it to play a victim’s card.

This shows the extent at which many ladies go in order to defend their guilt. It is a realization of the sad reality that many people have been alleged wrongly and convicted of sexual harassment. However, the lecturer’s saving grace was the video which showed exactly how the lecturer tapped her shoulder.

Her confrontation is a subject of worry at the declining state of values in the present generation. Africa thrived in the system of communal living which included communal reprimand of children who are in the wrong. We can agree that this system is long gone and the communal way of correcting younger ones have been reduced to disapproval from parents to have their children corrected by others. This according to me has caused the decline in respect for elders, and enabled youths to disrespect other people. it is another reality that has hit the Nigerian community.

In all of these however, there is a reassurance that the African values have not fully ceased to exist. From Netizens reactions on the matter, many people drummed support for the assaulted lecturer and demanded a proper punishment for the student. Her eventual expulsion even though her mother was a lecturer in the same school,  also showed that we are still conscious of our values.