COOU Sacks Two Professors, Three Others Over Sexual Abuse, Extortion

​The Governing Council of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, Anambra State, has dismissed five staff members—including two high-profile professors—following indictments for sexual harassment, extortion, and severe ethical misconduct.

​The sweeping disciplinary action was finalized during the council’s 122nd statutory meeting. It marks one of the most significant anti-misconduct crackdowns in the institution’s recent history.

​High-Profile Indictments

​According to a formal statement released by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Harrison Madubueze, the dismissed academics include:

• ​Professor C.C. Nwabachili: The immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Law.
• ​Professor Chike Osegbue: A senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences.

​The purge also affected the university’s Department of Microbiology at the Uli Campus, resulting in the dismissal of two lecturers, I.H. Iheukwumere and Emeka Nwabunnia.

​Additionally, an administrative official, Ifeoma Kakulu, was terminated. Kakulu served as a principal assistant registrar and was the examination officer for the Faculty of Law at the time the offenses were committed.

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​Institutional Crackdown on Misconduct

​The university management stated that the decisions followed rigorous internal investigations by disciplinary panels, which found the accused culpable of exploitation, intimidation of students, grade extortion, and sexual abuse.

​Mr. Madubueze emphasized that the mass dismissal underscores the university’s zero-tolerance policy toward behaviors that jeopardize student safety and compromise academic integrity.

​”The council reaffirmed its stance on discipline and integrity, warning that actions tarnishing the university’s reputation would face severe consequences,” Madubueze stated. “It also promised to ensure a safe, accountable, and forward-thinking atmosphere, aligning with the vision of building a ‘now university and of the future’.”

​A Broadening Crisis in Higher Education

​The decisive action by COOU management arrives amid a heightened national conversation regarding the safety of female students in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Academic unions and civil society organizations have consistently pressured university governing boards to move beyond mere suspensions and enforce permanent dismissals to deter predators.

​By publicly naming the high-ranking faculty members involved, COOU administration joins a growing list of Nigerian universities utilizing public accountability to restore confidence in higher education governance.

​University authorities have urged students to utilize existing anonymous reporting channels to flag further instances of extortion or harassment without fear of victimization.