A human rights advocacy organisation, Speak Out for Justice Advocacy Ltd/GTE (SOJA), has called for an impartial, two-track investigation into the controversial incident involving a lecturer of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, over allegations of sexual misconduct and the subsequent mob assault against him.
In a statement signed by its Founder and Executive Director, Hameed Jimoh, the organisation condemned the reported stripping, beating and public humiliation of the lecturer, describing the incident as a disturbing descent into “jungle justice” and warning that mob action must not be allowed to replace due process.
SOJA said the allegation of sexual misconduct must be thoroughly investigated and, if established by credible evidence, prosecuted in accordance with the law. It, however, stressed that no allegation, regardless of its seriousness, gives students or members of the public the right to physically punish an accused person.
“An allegation is not a conviction. A suspicion is not a judgment. A viral video is not a court of law,” the organisation said.
The statement followed the circulation of video footage purportedly showing a group of young men, reportedly students, assaulting the lecturer, forcibly removing his clothing and leaving him exposed while allegedly subjecting him to further physical aggression.
SOJA said reports that UNIZIK had condemned the incident as a mob assault and commenced an investigation underscored the university’s responsibility to uphold discipline, human dignity and the rule of law.
The organisation cited Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantees the dignity of the human person and prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It also referenced Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which protects human dignity and prohibits degrading treatment.
According to SOJA, these protections apply irrespective of whether an individual is innocent, guilty or merely accused of wrongdoing.
SOJA called for two distinct but connected investigations.
The first, it said, should establish what transpired between the female student and the lecturer before the confrontation and determine whether there is evidence of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, assault or any other offence.
The second should identify those who allegedly participated in assaulting, stripping and humiliating the lecturer and determine whether their actions amounted to criminal offences or violations of university regulations.
“Neither question should be allowed to swallow the other,” the organisation warned.
It stressed that an investigation into the alleged sexual misconduct must not be used to justify the mob assault, just as the investigation into the assault must not be used to suppress or trivialise the female student’s complaint.
“The complainant deserves protection. The accused deserves due process. The truth deserves an impartial investigation. And society deserves justice,” SOJA said.
The rights group also demanded the immediate preservation of all evidence linked to the incident, including original video recordings, CCTV footage, mobile-phone recordings, photographs, medical records, eyewitness accounts, identities of persons present at the scene and relevant university security records.
It urged authorities to identify individual participants in the alleged assault rather than treating the incident merely as a collective disturbance.
SOJA further called for protection of the female student from intimidation, retaliation, ridicule and harassment, while cautioning against treating the allegation as proof of guilt.
“The fact that an allegation requires investigation does not make the complainant a liar. Equally, the fact that a complaint has been made does not automatically establish the guilt of the person complained against,” it said.
The organisation said the incident had also highlighted the need for universities to establish credible and accessible mechanisms for reporting sexual misconduct.
It argued that where students believe complaints will lead to victim-blaming, institutional cover-up, intimidation or retaliation, they may resort to dangerous informal methods of confrontation.
SOJA urged universities to ensure that sexual-misconduct complaints are handled promptly, confidentially, independently and fairly.
It also appealed to students to reject mob action, urging anyone who witnesses sexual harassment or assault to alert the appropriate authorities, move the alleged victim to safety, preserve evidence and seek medical or legal assistance.
“But do not become a mob,” it warned. “Do not beat the suspect. Do not strip the suspect. Do not humiliate the suspect. Do not torture the suspect.”
SOJA called on UNIZIK Management, the Anambra State Government, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Universities Commission and the National Human Rights Commission to ensure that the incident is investigated comprehensively, impartially and transparently.
The organisation maintained that Nigeria’s obligations under international and regional human-rights instruments reinforce the need to protect individuals from violence, degrading treatment and denial of justice.
It also cautioned Nigerians against relying solely on viral videos to determine what happened, noting that footage may capture events within a particular period without showing what preceded them.
However, SOJA said any apparent assault and degrading treatment visible in the footage should be investigated promptly and, where established, attract appropriate sanctions.
“No allegation of sexual misconduct justifies mob violence,” the organisation declared.
“No lecturer is above the law. No student is above the law. No human being should be stripped, beaten or humiliated by a mob.
“No victim should be silenced. No accused person should be convicted by the crowd. No university should permit jungle justice within its environment.”
