After Viral Video, UNIZIK Suspends Professor Over Alleged Sexual Assault

The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has suspended Prof. Ifeanyi Odinye of the Department of Chinese Studies for three months on half salary over alleged sexual molestation of a student, an act the university said contravened its General and Academic Regulations.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Anyaehie, approved the suspension based on the preliminary report submitted on August 21, 2026, by a six-man special investigative panel constituted to probe the matter.

Odinye was assaulted and stripped by some students on August 15, 2026, following allegations that he attempted to sexually molest a female student.

A video that went viral showed the student coming out of Odinye’s office with his clothes and alleging that the lecturer tried to assault her sexually inside the office.

She was heard shouting that he had attempted to rape her, while other persons believed to be students chased the lecturer as he boarded a tricycle out of the university premises.

At the time of the incident, the lecturer was wearing an academic gown after the student had left his office with his clothes.

In the video, some men were also seen beating the lecturer after he had been completely stripped within the campus.

The female student, identified as Chikamso Favour Okechukwu, was seen crying after running out of the office.
She was alleged to have pretended to agree to a sexual encounter until the lecturer removed his clothes, after which she took them and fled.

According to a statement by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Aloysius Attah, the Vice Chancellor has directed that Chikamso Favour Okechukwu be referred to the Students’ Examination Misconduct Committee.

The Vice Chancellor has also extended the lifespan of the investigative panel by two weeks to enable it to fully address its five-point terms of reference.

The panel is chaired by Prof. Emmanuel Obidimma, Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies.
In its preliminary report, the panel considered two of the five issues and indicted Odinye for breaching Section 5.8.3 of the university’s General and Academic Regulations.

He was found to have failed to record and submit the case of examination misconduct involving Chikamso Favour Okechukwu on the prescribed form, and to have returned the phone recovered from the student during the examination to her on the same day, in violation of Section 5.8.1(iv) of the GAR.

The remaining three issues for determination, which the panel is expected to conclude within the next two weeks, are whether there was sexual harassment, the identity of those who assaulted Odinye, and whether there was any incident of kidnapping in connection with the matter.

“The committee members are expected to conclude their findings with recommendations to the Vice Chancellor before a final verdict is initiated, including possible criminal prosecution,” Attah stated.