AWKA — Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, has slammed a three-month suspension with half salary on Professor Ifeanyi Sunny Odinye of the Department of Chinese Studies.
The suspension follows a viral video that captured the senior academic being physically assaulted over allegations of sexually harassing a female student.
According to an official statement issued by Comrade Aloysius Emeka Attah, Director of Information and Public Relations, the interim disciplinary action stems from the preliminary findings of a six-man Special Investigative Panel headed by Prof. Emmanuel Obidimma, Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies.
Breach of Academic Regulations
While investigations into the core sexual harassment claims remain ongoing, the panel indicted Prof. Odinye for gross professional misconduct. He was found to have violated Section 5.8.3 of the institution’s General and Academic Regulations (GAR) by failing to formally document and submit a case of examination malpractice against the student involved, Chikamso Favour Okechukwu.
Furthermore, the professor breached Section 5.8.1(iv) of the GAR by returning a mobile phone recovered during the examination to the student on the same day. Strikingly, the student caught up in the examination breach turned out to be the same individual central to the harassment allegations.
Panel Mandate Extended
In light of the complex dimensions of the scandal, Vice Chancellor Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie has extended the investigative panel’s timeline by an additional two weeks.
The committee is tasked with resolving three remaining terms of reference:
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- Verifying the veracity of the sexual harassment allegations.
- Identifying the perpetrators involved in the physical assault meted out to Prof. Odinye.
- Investigating whether any incident of kidnapping occurred during the altercation.
Student Referred to Misconduct Panel
In tandem with the lecturer’s suspension, the Vice Chancellor has directed that Miss Chikamso Favour Okechukwu face the university’s student examination misconduct committee to answer for her role in the exam breach.
University authorities stressed that the administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward unethical practices, prioritizing staff and student welfare while strictly adhering to the principles of fair hearing and institutional transparency. The panel is expected to submit its final report and comprehensive recommendations—which could potentially pave the way for criminal prosecutions—at the close of the two-week extension.
