A storm of controversy is raging over Yakubu Gowon University’s decision to pardon students previously punished for exam malpractice a move that has triggered fierce backlash and calls for the immediate resignation of Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Lar Patricia Manko.
The protest, led by a coalition of past students under the Concerned Alumni of University of Abuja, described the Senate’s blanket amnesty as “shameful, dangerous, and a slap on the face of academic integrity.”
The controversial decision, ratified during the institution’s 189th Senate meeting on May 28, 2025, grants amnesty to students penalized for examination offences between the 2020/2021 academic session and the first semester of 2024/2025.
Alumni say the act reduces the university to “a glorified secondary school” and equated it to granting presidential amnesty to terrorists.
“We were stunned when the news broke,” said the group in a statement signed by Barrister Mohammad Usman and Oluwaseun Akintola on Sunday. “To the best of our knowledge, no credible university in Nigeria has ever offered amnesty to exam cheats.”
The alumni questioned the moral and legal basis for what they branded “an academic abomination,” alleging the decision was influenced by political interference and monetary inducement.
“Lecturers who spoke with us suspect that some politically connected students previously caught cheating are behind this amnesty. One even claimed millions of naira changed hands at the top,” the group said.
They demanded to know why Professor Manko, whose acting tenure expires in weeks, would champion such a consequential policy.
The group posed seven damning questions:Why were the names of the beneficiaries kept secret?
Why the haste with only weeks left in the VC’s tenure?
What are the amnesty terms automatic certificates or resits?
What becomes of court cases involving expelled students?
Why the silence from the Minister of Education and NUC?
Why does the amnesty only apply from 2020 to 2025?
Why prioritize this over urgent issues like the university’s land dispute with the FCT?
The group also decried the emotional toll on lecturers who risked threats and bribes to uphold standards, only to see their efforts undone.
“These lecturers stood for truth, rejected bribes, and were threatened now their sacrifices have been rubbished,” the alumni lamented.
They issued a 7-day ultimatum for the Senate to reverse the decision or face legal action.
> “If this madness is not reversed, our degrees will soon be seen as worthless,” the statement warned.
In a reaction that did little to calm tensions, the university’s Acting Director of Information and University Relations, Dr. Habib Yakoob, defended the Senate’s action, claiming it was not politically driven.
“The decision cuts across all faculties and levels. It was made after careful consideration to ensure fairness,” Yakoob said.
But many stakeholders are unconvinced, warning that the decision could set a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s already fragile higher education system.
