Last Friday, authorities of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, expelled a notorious 300-level History and International Studies student, Miss Goddy-Mbakwe Chimamaka Precious, over her assault on a lecturer from the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, Dr. Chukwudi Okoye. It was a befitting punishment for her and a special Valentine's Day gift for all lovers of justice across the world.
Goddy-Mbakwe Chimamaka precious who is said to be the daughter of a lecturer in the university’s Engineering Department had an altercation with Dr Okoye few days before her expulsion, for interrupting a TikTok video she was recording during school hours. In the ensuing melee, Precious attacked the lecturer, tore his clothes to shreds, and bit; him on both arms, leaving a deep skin cut.
Her action, which went viral after a video of the incident surfaced online, led to public outrage and calls for disciplinary action. While some people blamed the lecturer for the incident, most people stood in defence of him, especially after watching his video testimony, where he explained all that led to the humiliation he got from Precious.
Thankfully, the university authorities came to the rescue by expelling Precious. In an official expulsion letter dated February 13, 2025, and signed by the Acting Registrar of the institution, Mr. Victor I. Modebelu, the university stated that the decision followed the recommendation of the Students Disciplinary Committee, which found the student’s actions to be a gross violation of the institution’s disciplinary regulations, specifically Regulation 4 (SDR).
The expulsion, which was with immediate effect, was a decisive move by the UNIZIK administration to maintain the highest level of discipline within the institution. More commendable was the speed and accuracy with which justice in the matter was dispensed. Knowing that they were in the eye of the storm, the school authorities did not blink to sentiment or blackmail. Efforts to make them overlook or sweep the issue under the carpet failed on all fronts.
The expelled student could have received a lesser punishment if only she had realised the enormity of her actions. But she did not appear remorseful. In her statement of defence, she tried to paint a picture of pity and being the victim even with the overwhelming evidence against her. She also tried to convince the public that the lecturer was guilty of sexual harassment. Obviously, her plan was to raise a pity party and attract a mob of feminists to protest in her favour. All of that didn't work.
Universities have a responsibility to maintain a safe and respectful learning environment, and addressing incidents of misconduct is essential to upholding that responsibility. So, the management of UNIZIK must be commended for showing Precious the way out. Her action is unexplainable and unjustifiable. There was no excuse for her to behave in the manner that she did. By her action, it was obvious that she was badly raised. She is a product of failed parenting and the unfortunate reality of the moral decadence in our society.
But we must not throw the baby with the bath water. Precious will be going through a lot now. Psychologically, she is damaged. Socially, she can't fit into society now. She has completely lost herself and will need urgent rehabilitation. Situations like this can lead to suicide. Precious needs proper guidance and counselling to get her back to life. She should know that it is not the end of the world. Bad as expulsion is, it is not a death sentence. She can still rise to the height she desires by learning a lesson from the sad incident and becoming a change agent.
Her parents and loved ones need to work her through this difficult time. She needs all the attention now. We urge Nigerians not to stigmatise her. It is going to be worse if they do. We shouldn't lose her to perpetual depression. We also need to avoid a situation where she will revolt against the society and become a menace. All of these are dependent on how we treat her. Any attempt to constantly remind her of how terrible her action was will move her to the brink of precipice.
Finally, the expulsion of Precious should be a great lesson to young people who have allowed social media to define them. While social media has brought a lot of positive changes, the wrong usage of it has become the albatross of many youths. Precious would probably still be a student of UNIZIK if she had used her free time to engage in reading. But she opted for recording Tik Tok video at a place not conducive for that. We hope that her mistake is not repeated by other students in the future.
