A human-rights and justice advocacy organisation, Speak Out for Justice Advocacy Ltd/GTE (SOJA), has demanded an impartial, two-track investigation into the controversial incident involving a lecturer of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, warning that the alleged sexual misconduct and the subsequent mob assault must be treated as separate but equally serious matters.
SOJA, in a statement signed by its Founder and Executive Director, Hameed Jimoh, condemned the reported stripping, physical assault and public humiliation of the lecturer, describing the incident as a disturbing descent into “jungle justice” that must not be allowed to replace due process.
The organisation said the alleged sexual misconduct must be thoroughly investigated and, if established by evidence, prosecuted in accordance with the law, but stressed that no allegation—even one involving sexual misconduct—gives students or members of the public the authority 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,” SOJA 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 further physical aggression was allegedly inflicted on him.
SOJA said reports that UNIZIK had condemned the incident as a mob assault and commenced an investigation made the matter particularly disturbing because of the university’s responsibility to uphold discipline, human dignity and the rule of law.
The rights organisation insisted that the lecturer’s fundamental rights remain protected regardless of the allegation against him.
It cited Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantees the right to the dignity of the human person and prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
It also invoked Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which protects the dignity of the human person and prohibits degrading treatment.
SOJA argued that these protections do not depend on whether a person is popular, innocent or accused of wrongdoing.
“The protection of dignity is deliberately framed in universal terms,” the organisation said, stressing that even a person eventually found guilty of an offence remains a human being entitled to lawful treatment.
‘Even if allegation is true, mob justice remains wrong’
The group was emphatic that its condemnation of the alleged assault should not be interpreted as a defence of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment.
It said that if investigation ultimately establishes that the lecturer committed sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, abuse of academic authority or any criminal offence, he should face the full consequences prescribed by law and applicable university regulations.
But, it added, punishment must come through competent institutions rather than a mob.
“The seriousness of an alleged offence cannot justify the abandonment of the rule of law,” SOJA stated.
The organisation consequently called for those who allegedly participated in the assault to be identified and subjected to appropriate university disciplinary procedures and, where applicable, criminal investigation.
SOJA’s central demand is for authorities to conduct two distinct but connected investigations.
The first, it said, should establish exactly what happened between the female student and the lecturer before the confrontation and determine whether there is evidence of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, assault or another offence.
The second should identify those who allegedly participated in the lecturer’s physical assault, stripping and humiliation and determine whether their actions constitute criminal offences or breaches of university regulations.
“Neither question should be allowed to swallow the other,” SOJA warned.
It said an investigation into the alleged sexual misconduct must not be used to excuse the mob assault, just as investigation of the alleged 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,” the organisation said.
SOJA also called for the immediate preservation of all evidence connected to the incident, including original video recordings circulating online, CCTV footage, mobile-phone recordings, photographs, medical records, eyewitness statements, identities of persons present at the scene and relevant university security records.
It urged authorities to go beyond treating the incident as a collective disturbance and identify individual participants in the alleged assault.
The organisation further appealed to the university and relevant authorities to ensure that the female student who made the allegation is protected from intimidation, retaliation, ridicule and harassment.
At the same time, it cautioned against treating the allegation itself 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,” SOJA said.
SOJA said the incident also exposed the need for universities to establish reporting mechanisms that students can trust.
It argued that where students believe complaints of sexual misconduct will result in victim-blaming, institutional cover-up, intimidation or retaliation, they may resort to dangerous informal methods of confrontation.
The organisation urged universities to ensure that sexual-misconduct complaints are handled promptly, confidentially, independently and fairly.
It also called on students to reject mob action, urging anyone who witnesses sexual harassment or assault to raise the alarm, get the alleged victim to safety, contact university security, report to the appropriate authorities, preserve evidence and seek medical or legal assistance where necessary.
“But do not become a mob,” SOJA warned.
“Do not beat the suspect. Do not strip the suspect. Do not humiliate the suspect. Do not torture the suspect. Do not become the very thing you claim to oppose.”
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 entire incident is investigated comprehensively, impartially and transparently.
It said Nigeria’s obligations under international and regional human-rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, reinforce the need for effective protection against violence, degrading treatment and denial of justice.
The organisation urged Nigerians not to treat a viral video as a complete account of an incident, noting that footage may establish what happened within the recorded period without necessarily revealing events that preceded it.
However, it maintained that any apparent assault and degrading treatment visible in the footage warrants immediate investigation and accountability.
It however warned that the fight against sexual harassment and sexual violence must not itself become a justification for abandoning the rule of law.
“No allegation of sexual misconduct justifies mob violence,” it 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.”
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