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BREAKING! UNIZIK VC Tussle: Odoh Drags FUGUS To Court Over Denial of Professorship
Embattled and sacked 7th Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), Professor Benard Odoh has instituted legal actions against the management of Federal University, Gusau (FUGUS) over alleged denial of his professorial appointment and employment status.
In a statement on Wednesday, signed by his Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Charles Otu, he said Odoh instituted the legal action at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), with suit number NICN/ ABJ/ 434/ 2024.
He said, though no date has been fixed for the hearing, Odoh will leave no stone unturned to seek legal redress in a court of competent jurisdiction “on the very weighty and damaging allegations against his person and unblemished records, accusing the management of being in league with politicians to nail and pitch him not just against the academic community, but the rest of Nigeria and the world.”
The statement read: “In the past seventy-two hours or more, the print, broadcast and social media outlets have been flooded with reports emanating from a press conference addressed by the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Gusau, Professor Muazu Abubakar, wherein he claimed that the embattled Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Professor Benard Odoh, was never in the employment of the university and neither was he a tenured professor at the institution.
“He also went further to allege that, “all documents pertaining to Odoh’s claims were fraudulently obtained through administrative fraud working in cahoots with the Registrar and the former Vice-Chancellor of the University”.
“In the case of Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi, the university notes as follows: That he did not submit any letter of acceptance of offer of appointment, that he did not undergo the statutory documentation, that even though Dr. Odoh was engaged as a visiting linkage staff in the Department of Geology of the university, and dubiously enrolled into the institution’s payroll from July 2014 to August 2015, he neither assumed duty nor taught any course since the inception of the department in the 2014/2015 academic session”, the Management claimed
“According to him, “The so-called letters of offer of tenure of appointment as professor and confirmation of promotion to the post of professor, dated 30th April 2015 and 12th November 2015, being paraded by Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi and purported to be certified true copies hurriedly endorsed by Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, former registrar of the Federal University, dated November 8, 2024, six solid years after the latter left the services of the Federal University Gusau, are products of administrative fraud orchestrated by Dr. Odoh, working in cahoots with the former vice chancellor of the university and the registrar”.
“Abubakar had accused Odoh of colluding with former university officials to forge documents, including backdated letters of appointment and promotions that were certified years after those officials had left office”, Prof. Muazu stated.
“The import of the hefty allegations above, also flowing as an official position after an earlier rejoinder on the same subject matter referencing a Vanguard publication published some hours earlier by the same authorities at the FUGUs, is that any discerning reader who read between the lines could espy that it was masterfully tilted towards scoring what seemed like a political point than a usual factual and academic tone. Perhaps, with counter facts and evidences to the several claims earlier made by Odoh and backed by copious documents already in the public domain, this clear observation may have been viewed differently by the Nigerian public.
“In other words, one strongly suspects that those desperate to rid Odoh out of office and perhaps, further cause him public shame, ridicule and embarrassment are now even more desperate to damage and utterly destroy his academic, social and political reputations in what obviously could be understood as a deliberately orchestrated and mafiaso media trial, similar to what happened to the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, who has now been eventually washed clean by the Court. The sad bane of Nigerian media trial is that once a person’s reputation has been tarnished, it is hardly ever restored even if finally cleared by the courts. This is why we call for diligent checks, confirmations and the professional ensuring of balanced reportage by the Nigerian mass media in this matter.
“In one tone, the management of the institution sounded as though they had a grouse and scores to settle with the pioneer administration led by the former Vice-Chancellor, Professor P. O. Okeke, who employed Odoh, including the pioneer Registrar of FUGUS, Ibrahim Bawa Kaura. In another breath, they sounded like some academic or intellectual ‘terrorists’ who were under intense pressure to achieve a determined end with a perfected script handed over to them; all, desperately desirous to nail Professor Odoh and pitch him not just against the academic community but the rest of Nigeria and the world.”
He added: “All these are pathetically strange and having carefully painted the above background, it is therefore now trite that the following posers and observations are made before the general public, even as he shall leave no stone unturned to seek legal redress in a court of competent jurisdiction on these very weighty and damaging allegations against his person and unblemished records:
“1. That every facts, documents, evidences, including Court depositions made by Professor Odoh so far in the matter were never fraudulently obtained or manufactured but were availed me upon diligent enquiries to those who held sway when he worked with and for the said institution. To further buttress this, he had earlier written to the Pro-Chancellor of the university to cause clarifications on the matter so as to clear the name and reputations of both institutions and particularly Professor Odoh, whose image and accomplishments both as a former public office holder of high standing and a thorough-bred academic has been at the epicenter of the entire storm. May we place on record that Odoh has never forged, falsified or caused to be altered, any document even when in public office.
“2. That despite officially receiving those correspondences from Odoh and even acknowledging receiving the same, no official reply has been sent to him either in a hard or a soft copy. Rather, the university for the same strange reasons claimed they have no records of his files and other staff profiles in their records.
“3. It is therefore now very clear from their reactions in the media that there are some fifth columnists working for some other pecuniary interests on the matter to not only indict Odoh but rubbish his long-standing reputation. Both the current Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar have failed in the estimation of reasonable minds to tow a path of academic professionalism all in their desperate attempts to implicate and indict Odoh at all costs and to a large extent, the institution through their insinuations that he was issued with a ‘fraudulent’ employment and promotion letters as a Professor.
“4. Professor Odoh wishes to restate his earlier submissions that he was a Staff of the Federal University, Gusau with Staff number: SP. 048. And he was consequently and duly captured for payment of salaries by the Bursary Unit of the institution only after he had met every other condition precedent set out in the terms and conditions of service by the institution. This is evident in his payslips done via the NIPPs by the Federal Ministry of Finance with a payment description which clearly reads: ‘ _Salary from the Federal University, Gusau_ ‘. He never colluded with the Bursar or any other Staff for that matter as insinuated by the Management of the institution to cause to be paid or for any other matter whatsoever.
“5. On the claims that, Odoh was not appointed a Professor by the University, it is trite to reassert that he was not only promoted to the apex rank but was duly assessed by three assessors; out of which two are still alive and active, namely: Professors P.O. Okeke (now retired) formerly of UNIZIK and the Enugu State Universities and Isaac Aiyegbogun of Edo State University, Ekpoma. The erudite duo, disturbed by the allegations against Odoh in public domain have separately approached the High Courts in Enugu and Ekpoma respectively and deposed to affidavits attesting to all the processes in my assessment and consequent promotion. All these, which are already Court certified documents would be tendered in the course of our litigation.
“6. Reading the authorities of FUGUS battle to lay claims to an alleged gross violation of the Evidence Act in the documents obtained and certified for and on behalf of Professor Odoh by the former Registrar, one is disturbed about how the same institution that already claim it will challenge the documents in Court were desperate to also be the judge in their own case. For the sake of clarity, Section 104 of the Evidence Act, 2011 is unambiguous: (1) Every public officer having the custody of a public document which any person has a right to inspect shall give that person on demand a copy of it on payment of the legal fees prescribed in that respect, together with a certificate written at the foot of such copy that it is a true copy of such document or part of it as the case may be. It is clear in reply to their claim of non-payment of legal fees that no law mandates the former Registrar, Kaura to collect fees for a document under his custody in order to prove the authenticity of the documents of a staff employed during his tenure as a Registrar of the University. This becomes more understandable given the fact that the current management claims that Odoh’s records are not in their custody. Why cry foul over the production, certification of the same documents without payment of legal fees by the man who superintended over the Registry? Does absence of the payment of legal fees vitiate the genuineness and authenticity of the said documents? These and many more are the gamut of burdens now resting on the shoulders of the academic ‘mugus’ in FUGUS who we fall short of calling out as ‘academic or intellectual ‘terrorists’ or ‘bandits’ and they really have to prove these to Nigerians and the world during trial!
“7. Lastly, Professor Odoh wishes to extend his heartfelt regards, first; to his academic mentors and mentees, his numerous fans and supporters and indeed Nigerians at large who have kept fate with him in this dangerously trying and desperate times. They should recollect that Professor Odoh had been audited 32 times after his resignation as SSG of Ebonyi State by a government insipidly desperate to indict him but found him not wanting in any way or capacity. Truth, as always will soon overtake their desperate falsehoods!
“Thank you all for your wise counsels, kind words, prayers and well wishes. As he would always note: “What is ahead of us is yet far greater than what is behind us”!”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army’s structure from eight to twelve divisions—a landmark move to enhance the country’s security architecture and improve the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army.
In a statement, Special Adviser to the President on (Information & Strategy) Bayo Onanuga says, “this approval underscores the President’s unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges effectively and to strengthen national defence capabilities further.”According to the statement, “the expansion builds on the Administration’s sustained investments in the Armed Forces, including approval for the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel, acquisition of critical military platforms and equipment, improvements in troop welfare, and ongoing support for operational readiness and force modernisation.”Under the new structure, the Nigerian Army will operate twelve divisions, strategically positioned across the country as follows:1. 1 Division Headquarters – Kaduna (Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States)2. 2 Division Headquarters – Ibadan (Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States)3. 3 Division Headquarters – Jos (Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe States)4. 5 Division Headquarters – Makurdi (Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi States)5. 6 Division Headquarters – Port Harcourt (Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States)6. 7 Division Headquarters – Maiduguri (Borno and Yobe States)7. 8 Division Headquarters – Sokoto (Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States)8. 9 Division Headquarters – Ilorin (Kwara and Niger States)9. 10 Division Headquarters – Jalingo (Taraba and Adamawa States)10. 81 Division Headquarters – Lagos (Lagos and Ogun States)11. 82 Division Headquarters – Enugu (Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States)12. 83 Division Headquarters – Benin City (Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States).The establishment of the new Divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City will significantly improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making, strengthen border security, enhance the protection of critical national infrastructure, improve counter-insurgency and internal security operations, and ensure faster military response to emerging threats nationwide.Implementation of the new force structure will be done in two phases.
The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF) worldwide, a pan-Igbo socioeconomic pressure group, has urged the Federal Government to direct the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to supply Dangote Petroleum Refinery adequate crude.
The Chairman of NUF, Chief Augustine Chukwudum, made the call on Wednesday in Enugu while reacting to Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s move to start direct sales of refined Petroleum products in dollars.
It would be recalled that a top management official of the Dangote Group said that its refinery was receiving just four million barrels of crude oil monthly under the arrangement, instead of about 13 million barrels envisaged after President Bola Tinubu’s 2024 directive.
The refinery had attributed its decision to switch from naira-denominated fuel sales domestically to dollar transactions to the crude supply shortfall, saying it would also increase exports of refined petroleum products to earn foreign exchange.
Chukwudum called on the Federal Government to intervene urgently before things get out of hand and Nigerians suffer the more.
According to him, fuel price remains major determinant of prices of other commodities and services in the country as transport cost depends on.
“Things are bound to get worst if the Federal Government neglect to take immediate and decisive actions meant to better the life of the citizens.
“NUF is rasing this alarm because this administration is behaving as if they are not answerable to the people their are supposed to be serving.
“The Federal Government should direct NNPCL to supply all the crude oil needed by Dangote Refinery since the company has the capacity to meet local or domestic petroleum needs of the country.
“The government must stop all forms of fuel importation because that money been used for importation is a waste and put a pressure on our fragile foreign reserve as a nation,” he said.
The NUF boss noted that the refinery company must be allowed to pay in naira with this move, suffering of citizens would be curtailed.
Chukwudum also reiterated the call of the group for the Federal Government to set up judicial panel of inquiry to look into the account of NNPCL for some years now.
A commotion reportedly erupted at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State after some officials were accused of demanding ₦2,000 from applicants before processing voter registration and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
The allegation surfaced in a video circulating on social media, which showed what appeared to be a heated confrontation between applicants and officials at the electoral commission’s office.
According to a resident who narrated the incident in the video, some INEC officials allegedly insisted that applicants pay ₦2,000 before their voter registration or PVC processing could be completed.
The situation reportedly escalated when one of the applicants challenged the alleged demand, insisting that voter registration and PVC-related services are free and should not attract any payment.
The applicant was said to have confronted the officials and attempted to record the exchange with a mobile phone, triggering a heated argument that attracted other applicants and bystanders.
Although raised voices and a commotion could be heard in the footage, the circumstances surrounding the incident could not be independently verified.
The video has since sparked reactions on social media, with many Nigerians condemning the alleged extortion and calling on INEC to investigate the incident and sanction anyone found culpable.
INEC has consistently maintained that voter registration services are free of charge. These include fresh registration, collection of PVCs, transfer of voter information, correction of personal details, and replacement of lost or damaged PVCs.
The commission has also repeatedly urged members of the public to report any cases of extortion, bribery or illegal charges involving its permanent or ad hoc staff during voter registration and PVC distribution.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had not issued an official statement specifically addressing the allegations involving its Onitsha South Local Government Area office.
The incident comes as the electoral commission continues its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC has also introduced an online self-service platform to enable prospective voters and existing registrants to complete several registration-related processes conveniently, while reiterating that voter registration services remain free of charge.
MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has restored power supply to parts of Enugu metropolis, which witnessed darkness.
Some parts of Enugu metropolis, under the Band A tariff regime, during the weekend witnessed three consecutive days of blackout.
The Head, Communications of MainPower, Mr Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Enugu.
According to him, MainPower wishes to inform its esteemed customers that power supply to the Gariki Injection Substation was successfully restored on Monday, July 20, at about 8:30p.m.
“This is following the successful resolution of a major fault involving the indoor 11kV breaker at the station.
“The fault, which occurred on Friday, July 17, affected electricity supply to customers served by the Army and Gariki 11kV feeders.
“Consequently, normal electricity supply has now been restored to all affected areas,” he said.
Ezeh appreciated residents and customers for their patience, understanding and cooperation throughout the outage.
He noted that the company remained committed to delivering safe, reliable, and improved electricity services to its customers and residents of the state.
It would be recalled that MainPower, which is a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), is in-charge of electricity distribution in Enugu State.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Four herders and several cattle were killed on Tuesday when suspected gunmen attacked a cattle camp in Ifite Awka Community, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident has sparked concern in Awka, the state capital, as the attackers reportedly invaded the settlement and opened fire on the herders before fleeing the scene.
The attack has also prompted the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to appeal for calm among its members, expressing confidence that the perpetrators would be apprehended and brought to justice.
In a statement, the National Deputy Director-General of MACBAN, Gidado Siddiki, said the four deceased herders were members of the same family.
According to him, the incident occurred at the cattle camp of Alhaji Aminu Mohammed on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
He said, “According to reports, unknown armed assailants invaded the cattle camp while the herders were peacefully engaged in their legitimate cattle-rearing activities.
“The attackers opened fire sporadically, resulting in the deaths of four herders, namely Mohammed Bujumi, Hassan Bujumi, Abubakar Bujumi and Sani Bujumi.
“Several cattle were also killed during the attack, while the assailants reportedly fled with some of the cattle carcasses towards the nearby Mgbakwu Community.”
Siddiki added that another herder, identified as Usman Iliyasu, narrowly escaped the attack.
MACBAN condemned the incident as “heinous and senseless,” calling on security agencies to immediately investigate the attack, apprehend those responsible and prosecute them.
The association also urged the Anambra State Government to take urgent steps to strengthen security and protect the lives and property of residents.
While appreciating the prompt intervention of the Joint Task Force and the state government in recovering the bodies of the victims, Siddiki appealed to MACBAN members to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
“We urge everyone to cooperate fully with the security agencies and allow the government to carry out the necessary investigations and take appropriate action to ensure justice is served,” he said.
Confirming the attack, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said a police-led joint security team responded to the scene following a distress call.
He said the operatives discovered the bodies of four male victims who had suffered fatal injuries.
“Preliminary observations revealed that the victims had their hands tied and sustained multiple injuries, including machete cuts and blunt force trauma. Also, two residential huts within the settlement were set ablaze during the attack,” Ikenga said.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that four dead cows were found within the vicinity, while two other cattle had been slaughtered, with portions of their meat removed.
He added that security operatives recovered sacks containing abandoned chunks of meat a short distance from the scene.
According to Ikenga, preliminary findings indicated that the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, double-barrel guns and machetes.
He said one survivor escaped unharmed and was assisting the police-led joint security team with useful information that could aid the investigation.
The Anambra State Police Command urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely information that could assist the ongoing investigation.
The Command said further developments would be communicated as the investigation progresses.
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