By Sarah Ezeh
The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, Awka, has suspended a lecturer in the Department of Chinese Studies, Prof. Ifeanyi Odinye, for three months and placed him on half salary for violating the university’s General and Academic Regulations.
The university, however, said it had deferred consideration of the allegation of sexual harassment against the lecturer pending further investigation to establish the facts.
The decision followed the preliminary report of a six-member Special Investigative Panel constituted by the university to investigate allegations arising from an incident involving staff and students of the Department of Chinese Studies.
The panel, chaired by the Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Emmanuel Obidimma, submitted its preliminary report to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, on Friday, August 21, 2026.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the university’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Aloysius Attah, the institution said the panel’s preliminary report addressed two of the five issues contained in its terms of reference.
According to the statement, the panel found Prof. Odinye to have contravened Section 5.8.3 of the university’s General and Academic Regulations by failing to record and submit an examination misconduct case involving a student, Chikamso Okechukwu, on the prescribed Examination Misconduct Report Form.
The panel also found that the lecturer returned an offending phone recovered during the examination to the student on the same day, contrary to Section 5.8.1(iv) of the regulations.
“Following the recommendations of the six-man special investigative panel who submitted their preliminary report on Friday, August 21, 2026, the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Ugochukwu Anyaehie, has approved the suspension of Prof. Ifeanyi Odinye, a lecturer in the Department of Chinese Studies, for a period of three months with half salary on the first instance,” the university said in the statement.
The university said the panel’s remaining areas of investigation include whether sexual harassment occurred, the identities of those involved in the assault on Prof. Odinye, and whether there was any incident of kidnapping in connection with the matter.
It said the panel’s tenure had been extended by another two weeks to enable it to complete its assignment and address the remaining three issues.
The university added that the student involved in the incident, Chikamso Okechukwu, had been referred to the Student Examination Misconduct Committee on the directive of the Vice-Chancellor.
The development followed a viral video that emerged about two weeks ago showing some students physically assaulting and rough-handling Prof. Odinye on the university premises.
The lecturer was allegedly attacked after he was accused of molesting a female student.
The video generated widespread reactions on social media and prompted calls for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Following the incident, the university management condemned the resort to violence, self-help and jungle justice, and ordered an immediate, comprehensive and impartial investigation.
The university said the investigative panel is expected to conclude its findings and submit recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor before a final decision would be taken, including possible criminal prosecution where necessary.
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