The University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) has come down hard on the Head of Department of Political Science, Jonah Onuoha, accused of instigating two post-graduate students and another unidentified man to beat up a lecturer in the department, Ben Nwosu.
A senior administrator at the university confirmed to SaharaReporters this evening that UNN had removed Mr. Onuoha from his post as Head of Political Science. In addition, the university also suspended the former HOD, and may put him on half-pay, according to our source.
“The university is determined to thoroughly investigate the assault incident. Professor Onuoha’s suspension will last until the matter is conclusively investigated and a final decision,” said the source.
SaharaReporters broke the report about the assault after three concerned lecturers at the university contacted us, stating that they were disturbed that Mr. Onuoha appeared to be using his contacts to shield the students he sent to beat Mr. Nwosu and to bury the assault issue.
In a petition to the Vice Chancellor of UNN, Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba, the victim accused the now suspended HOD of sending three men to beat him up as he left Mr. Onuoha’s office after discussing his pending promotion. “On stepping out of his office to the general office, three men came behind me and demanded that I should hand over my phone to them alleging that I had recorded my conversation with the Head of Department. In that instant, they initiated a violent struggle to snatch the phone from me. While that was going on, they were slapping and hitting me until I released the phone to them which they handed over to Prof. Jonah who came out of his office while the melee was on. Jonah not only took my phone, but was also accusing me of being a troublesome person whom he would severely deal with,” Mr. Nwosu, who earned a PhD from New Zealand wrote in the petition, provided to SaharaReporters by a source at the university.
A doctorate degree graduate from UNN, Mr. Onuoha is facing more trouble at the university as the administration has set up another panel “to investigate allegations of massive corruption and brazen extortion in the Department of Political Science,” according to our administrative source. He told SaharaReporters that some students had written a petition accusing Mr. Onuoha and a cabal of his associates in the department of using two proxies to organize extortion of students who wish to successfully go through their degree program.
“The authorities here at UNN are determined to weed out bag eggs who have turned academic pursuits into a bazaar of profit ventures,” said our source at the university.
