UNIZIK Suspends Prof. Odinye for Three Months Over Examination Misconduct; Sexual Harassment Probe Continues
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Luke Enegin Adamma
AWKA, Anambra State — The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has suspended Professor Ifeanyi Sunny Odinye, a lecturer in the Department of Chinese Studies, for three months with half salary following preliminary findings by a six-member investigative panel into a controversial incident involving the academic and a female student.
The university, however, has clarified that the suspension does not amount to a final determination of the sexual harassment allegation that triggered widespread public attention. The allegation remains under investigation.
According to a statement issued by the university’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Aloysius Emeka Attah, the suspension was approved by Vice-Chancellor Professor Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie following the submission of the panel’s preliminary report on Friday, August 21, 2026.
The panel, chaired by Professor Emmanuel Obidimma, Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, was constituted after videos of an August 15 incident on the university premises went viral.
The footage showed Odinye being physically assaulted and stripped by individuals believed to be students following allegations involving a female student. The university subsequently condemned the violence and ordered a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Why Odinye Was Suspended
The preliminary investigation considered two of the five issues contained in the panel’s terms of reference.
The panel found that Odinye contravened Sections 5.8.3 and 5.8.1(iv) of UNIZIK’s General and Academic Regulations in his handling of an alleged examination misconduct case involving the student, identified by the university as Chikamso Favour Okechukwu.
The panel found that the alleged examination misconduct was not properly recorded and submitted on the prescribed Examination Misconduct Report Form. It also faulted Odinye for returning a mobile phone allegedly recovered from the student during the examination on the same day, contrary to the university’s regulations.
Based on those preliminary findings, the Vice-Chancellor approved the three-month suspension with half salary.
The university has also referred Okechukwu to its Students’ Examination Misconduct Committee for further proceedings.
Sexual Harassment Allegation Still Unresolved
Importantly, the investigative panel has not yet determined whether sexual harassment occurred
UNIZIK said the three outstanding issues before the panel include determining whether there was sexual harassment, identifying those involved in the assault on Odinye and establishing whether there was any incident of kidnapping connected with the matter.
The university has consequently extended the panel’s mandate by another two weeks to complete its investigation and submit its final recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor. A final decision, including possible criminal prosecution where warranted, is expected to depend on the outcome of the full investigation.
The distinction is significant because the viral videos and subsequent reports generated widespread allegations before the university had completed its investigation. At this stage, the sexual harassment allegation should therefore be treated as an unresolved allegation rather than an established fact.
Academic Background
Professor Ifeanyi Sunny Odinye is a prominent scholar in Chinese language and linguistics. UNIZIK’s official profile describes him as the first indigenous Professor of Chinese Language and Linguistics in Nigeria and Africa. He was also the pioneer coordinator and pioneer head of the university’s Chinese Studies Department and served as pioneer acting director of the institution’s Confucius Institute.
The development has consequently attracted significant attention within and beyond Anambra State because of the academic’s senior position and the unusual circumstances surrounding the incident.
The university has reiterated its commitment to staff and student welfare, transparency, fair hearing and zero tolerance for unethical conduct.
For now, the three-month suspension remains the disciplinary action arising from the panel’s preliminary findings on examination-regulation breaches, while the more serious sexual harassment allegation remains subject to further investigation.
