EXCLUSIVE: UNIABUJA Acting Vice-Chancellor Allegedly Reinstates Politically Connected, Expelled Medical Students In Bid To Secure Confirmation Of Appointment

The University of Abuja Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Patricia Lar, has been accused of compromising the university’s integrity by reinstating earlier expelled students in a bid to secure substantive appointment as Vice Chancellor.

Multiple sources within the university community revealed to SaharaReporters on Saturday that Prof. Lar, who assumed the role of Acting VC earlier this year, pardoned the medical students despite the gravity of their offences — raising concerns about the safety of future patients and the credibility of Nigeria’s medical education.

The affected students were; Moore Emmanuel, with Matric No: 16271044 from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, and Bassey Gold Okon, with Matric No: 16271181 from the Department of Chemical Pathology.

Meanwhile, both had been expelled after being found guilty of serious examination misconduct, university records show.

The source added that the same students who were caught cheating during examinations may eventually engage in criminal activities such as organ harvesting and other unethical practices.

“Someone who has already engaged in cheating should not be reinstated,” the source alleged. “But the Acting Vice Chancellor has brought them back into the system.”

The source said the internal directive on reinstatement was believed to be influenced by political pressure, as the students were quietly reabsorbed into the College of Health Sciences.

One of the sources told SaharaReporters on Saturday that because Professor Patricia is seeking an extension and wants to become the substantive Vice Chancellor, she is trying to curry favour from powerful politicians. 

The source added that her decision to grant amnesty was allegedly largely influenced by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The source further accused Prof. Lar of "watering down the value of academic excellence" to appease political interests, warning that allowing unqualified students back into a medical program could endanger public health.

Sources who spoke to SaharaReporters expressed dismay over the development, describing it as a betrayal of academic standards and a dangerous precedent for other institutions

A senior lecturer explained that this is not just about cheating; it's about future doctors who will treat real patients. Reinstating such students sends a message that malpractice carries no consequences.

The University of Abuja, often regarded as a leading federal institution, is now grappling with what insiders describe as a “crisis of credibility” under the current leadership. 

A university source said, “If anyone wants to cheat and get away with it, they should go to the University of Abuja—because even if you're caught, nothing happens. Now, all of us are relaxed. No lecturer wants to supervise anyone anymore because students these days, if you can't discipline them, they might kill you.

"Even if they kill a lecturer, nothing will happen. The university will grant them amnesty. So, why would anyone risk their life?

“Also, for someone who aspires to become a medical doctor but cannot handle consultations independently or doesn’t truly understand the basics—that’s a big slap.

“In medical school, there are students who didn’t cheat. They didn’t bring in books or use their phones during exams. They relied solely on their brains. But we assessed their performance and felt it was inadequate, so they were dismissed.

“In medical school, if you don’t perform well, if you don’t write well, we will send you away. Those students don’t get amnesty.”

Another lecturer added, "If they’re not caught, they will pass and become doctors. And if they are caught, they’ll be granted amnesty and still end up as doctors — and eventually be the ones killing us.
"That’s why you find doctors in clinics consulting AI to ask basic questions.
"The most important question now is: what is the quality of the certificates being issued by the University of Abuja? After all the effort that went into stabilising things — just three to four weeks ago — the Medical and Dental Council came for accreditation. They even increased our admission quota for medical students from 75 to 200.
"That clearly suggests a compromise, especially when we know that the university's facilities cannot support 200 students.
"Did you see how the Pro-Chancellor had to do ‘kurukuku’ just to arrange a meeting with the Medical and Dental Council? The council is led by someone whom the acting vice chancellor had previously conferred a professorship on. So her hands are tied. She gave us the 200 slots, even though, as a medical doctor and now a professor, she knows full well that we don’t have the capacity to handle that number," the source said.

Another source told SaharaReporters, because of the power dynamics in the university, the Acting Vice Chancellor wants to create a grand narrative that during her tenure, she secured 200 admission slots and achieved remarkable feats.

"Ironically, this same woman who wants to build a legacy of success at the University of Abuja has decided to grant amnesty to students previously sanctioned for cheating in the medical school.

"This raises serious concerns about the credibility of certificates issued by the University of Abuja. It suggests that graduates from the university, particularly from the medical school, may face suspicion when seeking employment — with potential employers wondering if they were among those who cheated.

"The University of Abuja is supposed to rank alongside Bayero University — though not yet at the level of the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, or Ahmadu Bello University. But we have now diluted academic excellence — for what reason? Because of the Senate President. Because the Senate President has the power to make or unmake careers. Because the Acting Vice Chancellor is seeking an extension, angling for confirmation as the substantive Vice Chancellor, or eyeing a higher political appointment.

"As a result, standards are being lowered. Many lecturers no longer want to waste their time supervising medical students. These students may cut corners during training and eventually become incompetent doctors, putting lives at risk.

The source explained that the Provost of the College of Science is Prof. Titus S. Ibekwe. The Deputy Provost, Isai Abaji, the Pro-Chancellor, and the Vice Chancellor are all complicit in this matter. 

"This should not be difficult to address. In fact, this should not be the only story written that sends a dangerous message: that if you want to cheat, you can go ahead — and it will even be applauded.

"We need to go beyond just telling the story. We should begin to interrogate this situation and ask critical questions. How did this happen? Because if it's not your family that this student will treat after graduating, it might be mine. It could be someone else’s loved one. It might even be a distinguished amily."

The source noted that the situation requires serious investigation. 
The source told SaharaReporters that the Vice Chancellor must be held accountable for reinstating a student who was previously caught cheating in an examination. 

"You already reported this — the story is public. There is a communiqué she issued to all of us, directing that the expelled students be reinstated, citing "delays" as the reason. But that’s misleading. These students were not delayed — they were expelled, and official documents exist to prove this.

"They have not been in the hostel. They have not participated in any academic activity since 2023. In other words, they were gone. They were no longer students of the university.

"So why issue a new circular now, claiming their expulsion was due to delays in decision-making? Delayed by whom? No one. The media — especially traditional and print media — should take this further and ask the Acting Vice Chancellor some hard questions: Is this circular a mistake? Is it fake? Or is it genuinely new? If it's new and authentic, then how can you justify bringing back medical students who were caught cheating in exams?

"Do you understand how many lives could be lost if this student becomes a doctor? Within the Senate, everyone knows the reputation of this particular student — she is not known for academic excellence. She is known for misconduct and academic dishonesty, often seen copying from her phone during exams. Is this the kind of doctor we want to unleash on society?, the source said. 

"Does this mean that the Acting Vice Chancellor came to the University of Abuja to oversee the decline of academic standards? The former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdul Rasheed Na'Allah, upheld strict academic discipline, firmly stating that any student caught cheating would be expelled — and students took that seriously, they all panicking during his reign.

"Is this how she intends to lead — by reversing those standards and weakening the credibility of our institution?," the source added.

SaharaReporters previously reported that the University of Abuja, recently renamed Yakubu Gowon University, has granted amnesty to students previously sanctioned for examination malpractice — a decision that has stirred controversy within the campus community.
In a memo dated July 16 and signed by the Acting Registrar, the university said the move was intended to give affected students a second chance and enable them to continue their academic journey free from the weight of past disciplinary actions.
A memo with reference number UA/AO/VC/01, titled "Implementation of Amnesty for Students Involved in Examination Misconduct," and signed by Mustapha Tanimu, Deputy Registrar (Academic), on behalf of the Acting Registrar, has been circulated to the Acting Vice Chancellor and all principal officers of Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja).
The document states that the University Senate, at its 189th Regular Meeting held on May 28, 2025, approved amnesty for all students implicated in examination malpractice between the 2020/2021 and 2024/2025 academic sessions.

The memo explained that the decision followed delays in acting on the recommendations submitted by the Central Examination Misconduct Committee, prompting management to offer a blanket amnesty to affected students.

The memo partly read: "The University Senate at its 189th Regular Meeting held on Wednesday 28th May, 2025 at the Academic Conference Centre and acting on the power contained in the University of Abuja Act, Section 19, sub-section 1 considered the recommendation of the Central Examination Misconduct Committee which, approved and granted Amnesty for all the students that were involved in any examination misconduct within the period of 2020/2021 to 1st Semester 2024/2025 academic sessions."

"This decision was aimed at promoting a fresh start on the fact that, the University management had taken a longer time to act thus, the amnesty was granted due to the delay on the part of our Institution and providing an opportunity for the students to continue their academic pursuit without the burden of past infractions,” it said.

"In view of the above, faculties are directed to reinstate the students accordingly," it added.