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The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has suspended a lecturer in the Department of Chinese Studies, Prof. Ifeanyi Odinye, for three months over alleged sexual misconduct and violation of the university’s General and Academic Regulations.
The university also approved that Odinye receive half salary throughout the period of his suspension.
The institution disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Aloysius Attah.
According to the statement, 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 interim report to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, on Friday, August 21, 2026.
The university, however, said it had deferred consideration of the sexual harassment allegation against Odinye, noting that further investigations were required to establish the facts surrounding the matter.
The management said the panel’s preliminary report covered two of its five terms of reference and found Odinye culpable of violating provisions of the university’s General and Academic Regulations relating to examination misconduct.
It said the lecturer failed to record and submit a case of examination misconduct involving a student, Chikamso Okechukwu, on the prescribed Examination Misconduct Report Form.
The panel also found that Odinye returned a phone recovered during the examination to Okechukwu on the same day, allegedly in violation of the university’s regulations.
The university said the remaining three issues to be investigated were whether sexual harassment occurred, the identities of those involved in the assault on the lecturer and whether there was any incident of kidnapping connected to the matter.
The panel’s tenure was subsequently extended by another two weeks to enable it to complete its investigation and make recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor.
The development followed a viral video which surfaced online about two weeks ago, showing some students physically assaulting and rough-handling Odinye on the university premises.
The lecturer was allegedly assaulted after he was accused of molesting a female student.
Following the incident, the university condemned the students’ resort to violence, self-help and jungle justice, and ordered a comprehensive and impartial investigation.
Meanwhile, the university said Okechukwu had been referred to the institution’s Examination Misconduct Committee on the directive of the Vice-Chancellor.
The university added that the investigative panel would submit its final findings and recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor after completing its assignment.
It said a final decision, including possible criminal prosecution, would be considered based on the outcome of the investigation.
The Vice-Chancellor, the statement added, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to staff and student welfare, transparency, fair hearing and zero tolerance for unethical practices.
