By Elvira Jordan
The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has strongly condemned the mob attack on a lecturer in the Department of Chinese Studies following allegations of attempted sexual misconduct involving a female student.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, August 15, triggered outrage after video footage went viral on social media showing the lecturer stripped naked and physically assaulted by a group of students within the campus grounds.
Responding to the viral footage, the university’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Aloysius Attah, described the incident as unfortunate and denounced the recourse to violence and “jungle justice.”
While emphasizing that allegations of sexual harassment are taken with extreme seriousness, the institution warned that grievances must follow established disciplinary channels.
“The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Anyaehie, has consistently reaffirmed UNIZIK’s zero-tolerance policy towards sexual misconduct and harassment,” Attah stated. “However, the seriousness of an allegation does not justify taking the law into one’s hands or subjecting an accused person to physical abuse. No individual or group is permitted to enforce jungle justice within the university environment.”
In response to the escalation, management has launched a comprehensive and impartial investigation into both the initial harassment claim and the subsequent assault. Administrative procedures have been activated to ensure due process for all parties.
The identities of the lecturer and the female student remain undisclosed by university authorities.
The incident has sparked widespread debate across the Awka campus, highlighting tensions over student safety, the enforcement of anti-harassment policies, and the preservation of constitutional rights to due process.
University management has urged staff and students to remain calm while the internal investigation runs its course.
