NANS Southwest Challenges UNIOSUN Over Expulsion of 18 Students, Demands Fresh Investigation

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has challenged the management of Osun State University over the reported expulsion of 18 students following an alleged examination question leakage.

The affected students are reportedly 300-Level students of the Department of Theatre Arts.

In a statement signed by the NANS Southwest Coordinator, Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, the association said its intervention was not intended to defend examination malpractice.

Rather, it said the objective was to ensure that disciplinary measures are based on evidence, individual responsibility and due process.

NANS said an examination question was allegedly compromised before the examination, leading to the cancellation of the affected paper and the conduct of a fresh examination.

The association, however, raised questions about the reported disparity in sanctions after it was informed that the departmental examination officer was allegedly issued a warning while 18 students were expelled.

‘Responsibility must be established’

According to NANS, the university should investigate the entire chain of custody of the examination materials.

It asked the institution to determine who had access to the examination question, how it allegedly leaked, who circulated it and which students knowingly benefited from the information.

The association maintained that where individual students are proven culpable, disciplinary action may be justified.

However, it argued that expulsion should not be imposed through collective responsibility or mere association.

NANS also called for the affected students to be given a fair opportunity to defend themselves.

Call for review panel

The association demanded the immediate suspension of the expulsion decision pending a comprehensive review.

It further called for an impartial panel to examine the incident and determine the responsibilities of students and staff members involved.

The student body said any staff member found culpable through negligence or direct involvement should face appropriate disciplinary measures.

NANS Southwest warned that academic integrity must not become a system where students face severe sanctions while institutional responsibility is overlooked.

It appealed to UNIOSUN management to reconsider the decision in the interest of justice and the affected students’ academic futures.

“The academic future of 18 Nigerian students deserves a fair hearing,” the association stated.