By Adeola Soetan
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK)’s decision to expel the female student who assaulted a lecturer is, in my view, a case of Aggravated Contagious Mob Instinct—a hasty reaction fueled by a social media frenzy of both genuine and hypocritical moralists.
While it is indisputable that the young lady’s actions were unacceptable and deserving of discipline, I firmly believe that a suspension for at least one academic session would have sufficed. Expulsion from a university is academic capital punishment, a penalty that should be reserved for extreme offences like rape, murder, arson, violent cultism, armed robbery, or abduction—not for an act of assault, no matter how inappropriate.
If correctional facilities are now called “correctional centres” to emphasize rehabilitation, shouldn’t universities be even more committed to reforming and guiding young minds rather than completely cutting them off? UNIZIK, unfortunately, succumbed to the pressures of social media’s court of public opinion instead of making a decision grounded in restorative justice and educational principles.
I can’t help but wonder—would the punishment have been the same if the student had assaulted a non-academic staff member?
Would this level of outrage have been displayed if it were a cafeteria worker, a janitor, or another student? I highly doubt it.
And what about the lecturer himself? Would he truly celebrate this expulsion? From the video evidence, he appeared more concerned with retrieving his phone, suspecting that he was being recorded for a TikTok video. The incident, while regrettable, could have been handled differently.
Furthermore, I question whether the lecturer would ever attempt to physically retrieve a phone from a student again after this experience. Surely, he has learned that such actions—however justified he may have felt—can spiral into unintended consequences. He likely never anticipated being at the center of such a public storm.
The female student was undoubtedly rude, and her actions warranted discipline. But expulsion is excessive, akin to killing a mosquito with an AK-47. A reformative approach—such as a suspension paired with mandatory counseling or disciplinary service—would have been a more appropriate response.
Universities should be institutions of discipline and correction, not destruction, especially for first-time spontaneous offenders. UNIZIK had an opportunity to demonstrate balanced justice, yet it opted for the extreme.
I speak from experience. I was unjustly rusticated and expelled three times during my time at Great Ife for nothing more than being a principled student activist and SU president. My five-year course stretched into thirteen years due to these politically motivated punishments. Thankfully, justice prevailed, thanks to the relentless efforts of generations of Great Ife students, the real NANS, and legal icons like Alao Aka Bashorun, Femi Falana, Gani Fawehinmi, Segun Sango, Olumide Fusika, and organizations like DSM, CLO, CDHR, and CWI.
I do not equate my case to that of the expelled student, but I have long maintained that expulsion should be a last resort—reserved only for the most grievous of offences.
I understand that some well-meaning individuals might, in the heat of the moment, support expulsion. But for the duplicitous moralists—those who readily defend corrupt politicians, drug barons, election riggers, certificate forgers, and national looters—please, spare us your outrage. You cannot preach what you do not practice.
Once again, I reiterate: the student deserved punishment—but suspension, not expulsion.
I submit.
Adeola Soetan
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