ANYIGBA — The Senate of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Kogi State, has expelled six 100-Level students of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology after an investigation found they each paid a lecturer N10,000 to rewrite an examination at his private residence.
The lecturer allegedly at the centre of the scheme, Dr Maji Okpanachi, has not been dismissed outright but has been referred to the university’s Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee for further action; he has not been publicly named as having admitted wrongdoing, and the disciplinary process against him continues separately from the students’ expulsion.
How the scheme was uncovered
Findings by ValidViewNetwork show the university received credible information on 1 July 2026 that Okpanachi was coordinating an exercise for students to rewrite their Introduction to Plant Science examination at his residence.
Acting on that tip, university security operatives raided the lecturer’s home and arrested him alongside the students involved.
A subsequent investigation established that the students had each paid N10,000 to participate in the rewriting exercise.
The Senate’s decision
According to a statement issued by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Uredo Omale, the Senate approved the expulsion of the six students at its 167th Regular Meeting, held on 26 August 2026 at the university auditorium.
In a separate resolution at the same meeting, the Senate also approved the withdrawal of nine other students over poor academic performance and failure to register for two consecutive semesters, though those nine were not connected to the exam-rewriting case.
What the university’s leadership said
Checks by ValidViewNetwork show Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of Senate, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, framed the decision as a matter of institutional credibility rather than punishment for its own sake, saying the university would not tolerate conduct capable of compromising the integrity of its academic system.
He commended the committees that investigated the matter, describing their work as reflecting the university’s commitment to accountability, and urged the wider student body to remain focused on their studies and strictly follow examination regulations.
What happens to the expelled students now
The expelled students have been directed to surrender all university property in their possession, including identity cards and other official items, to the appropriate authorities before formally leaving the institution.
With Okpanachi’s disciplinary case still pending, the episode leaves open the question of what sanctions, if any, will follow for the lecturer accused of orchestrating the scheme in the first place.
Our conclusion
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Six students lost their university places over N10,000 each; the man who allegedly organised the scheme and stood to profit from all six of them at once still awaits his own hearing.
Nigerian universities that want exam malpractice crackdowns to be taken seriously by students will need to show, case by case, that the adults who orchestrate these schemes face consequences at least as swift as the students who fall for them.
