Daud Olatunji
A fresh controversy has erupted at the University of Abuja after a senior lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, Dr Olabode Wale Ojoniyi, accused his Head of Department, Dr Awaritoma Agoma, of physically assaulting him and threatening to kill him during a confrontation over postgraduate academic matters.
Ojoniyi, who is also the Acting Director of the Centre for Wole Soyinka Studies at the university, made the allegations in a formal complaint addressed to the Vice-Chancellor through the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and the Head of the Department of Theatre Arts.
In the complaint, Ojoniyi alleged that Agoma pushed, shoved, headbutted and repeatedly punched him in the face during an argument involving the academic progress and assessment of a postgraduate student.
He also alleged that the HOD subsequently pinned his neck against an office door and threatened to kill him.
The lecturer said the confrontation occurred after he was asked to see Agoma in his office, where another lecturer, Dr Olympus Ejue, was also present.
According to Ojoniyi, the disagreement began over comments he made during a seminar presentation by a postgraduate student identified as Richard Gbilekaa.
He alleged that he was accused of deliberately frustrating the student’s academic progress after he insisted that corrections raised during the student’s earlier seminar should be addressed before another stage of the postgraduate programme.
Ojoniyi said the argument became heated after he challenged the accusation.
He alleged that Agoma called him several derogatory names and accused him of being arrogant and considering himself the only intelligent person in the department.
The lecturer further alleged that Agoma ordered him to leave the office and threatened to “cut me to size.”
Ojoniyi claimed that when he challenged the directive, saying the HOD’s office was not a private office, Agoma allegedly became violent.
He alleged that the HOD pushed and shoved him before hitting him repeatedly in the face.
Ojoniyi claimed that the incident left his lips and face swollen and caused other bodily pains.
He further alleged that Agoma later pinned his neck against the office door, making it difficult for him to breathe.
A postgraduate student, Femi Emmanuel, was said to have intervened and helped free him.
Ojoniyi also alleged that the student was threatened and warned against disclosing what he had witnessed.
The lecturer said he subsequently sought medical attention at the university clinic and continued to experience pain and difficulty swallowing.
He also stated that he did not physically retaliate during the confrontation.
Ojoniyi linked the alleged confrontation to a prolonged disagreement over the supervision and assessment of postgraduate students in the department.
He said the disagreement intensified after his return from an international conference in June 2025, when he was informed about petitions allegedly submitted by postgraduate students to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies.
According to him, he was involved in the supervision or assessment of two students, Gbilekaa and Sunday Etim, and had insisted that they implement corrections before proceeding to subsequent stages of their academic work.
He alleged that Gbilekaa attempted to submit another seminar paper without satisfactorily addressing corrections from his earlier presentation.
He similarly claimed that Etim had failed to implement corrections identified during his internal defence.
Ojoniyi said his insistence on compliance with academic procedures eventually led to disagreements with some colleagues and his removal as Postgraduate Coordinator.
He claimed that Agoma subsequently told him that he could no longer work with him and directed him to hand over the position.
Ojoniyi said he complied and submitted a handover note which, according to him, was signed by the HOD.
He further alleged that he later overheard Agoma discussing him with Ejue and saying that he had started “cutting my feathers” and would “further cut me to size.”
The lecturer said he reported the matter to some senior academics and regarded the alleged assault as the culmination of what he described as a sustained campaign against him.
However, the controversy took another turn months later when the university management suspended Ojoniyi over an alleged case of assault and battering resulting in bodily injuries.
A letter dated April 28, 2026, signed by the Acting Registrar, Sambo Mohammed, stated that the Vice-Chancellor had approved Ojoniyi’s suspension after considering the report of an Investigation Panel.
The university said he would remain on suspension pending the outcome of the Staff Disciplinary Committee’s report.
The suspension letter also stated that Ojoniyi would receive half pay during the period and would require the Vice-Chancellor’s permission before travelling outside Abuja.
He was also directed to hand over any university property in his possession to the appropriate authorities.
But Ojoniyi rejected the basis of the suspension two days later, arguing that the university had wrongly attributed the assault allegation to him.
In his April 30, 2026 response, he maintained that he was the person who had reported an alleged assault against Agoma on July 23, 2025.
He questioned the basis for his suspension, insisting that no one had made a written or verbal complaint against him alleging assault and battering leading to bodily injuries.
Ojoniyi also said he had not appeared before the university’s Staff Disciplinary Committee.
He urged the university to ensure that justice was done and was seen to have been done.
The documents made available in connection with the dispute did not show the outcome of the investigation into Ojoniyi’s original allegation against Agoma.
They also did not contain the university’s detailed findings on the circumstances surrounding the confrontation or explain how the investigation led to Ojoniyi’s subsequent suspension.
Similarly, the documents did not contain a substantive response from Agoma to the allegations of physical assault and threat to life levelled against him.
The controversy has therefore raised questions about the handling of disputes involving academic staff, the protection of university employees from alleged violence and the transparency of disciplinary procedures.
It also places renewed focus on the need for universities to ensure that allegations of physical assault, threats and professional misconduct are investigated fairly, promptly and transparently, particularly where counter-allegations are involved.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the allegations against Agoma remain allegations, while the circumstances surrounding Ojoniyi’s suspension and the university’s investigation have not been fully clarified in the documents reviewed.
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