Abia State University suspends Anatomy HOD over alleged extortion, grade manipulation

Abia State University (ABSU) has suspended the Head of the Department of Anatomy, Dr. Agbai Johnson Ukwa, over allegations of extortion, grade manipulation and other forms of academic misconduct.

The suspension was disclosed in a social media post by education advocate and tech entrepreneur, Alex Onyia, who said the university took the action following ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in the institution.

According to Onyia, preliminary findings suggest that the lecturer may have been involved in “grade sorting” and other questionable academic practices, including allegedly demanding large sums of money from students in exchange for passing examinations.

He further claimed that the Abia State Government has intensified its investigation and is reviewing students’ results and mark sheets covering the last five years in the university.

Onyia alleged that some graduates’ results could be affected depending on the outcome of the investigation.

In an earlier post dated May 9, Onyia identified the suspended lecturer as the HOD of the Anatomy Department and alleged that students were sometimes compelled to pay money before being allowed to graduate, while others allegedly faced threats of failure or missing scripts.

As of the time of filing this report, Abia State University had not issued a detailed public statement outlining the specific allegations against the lecturer or the duration of the suspension.