A lecturer of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has been murdered in an attack by yet-be-be-identified gunmen.

On Tuesday, Emmanuel Ojukwu, the UNIZIK spokesperson, confirmed the development to TheCable.

The victim has been identified as Fabian Osita Chinedu.

Tochukwu Ikenga, the state police PRO, said the UNIZK staff member was shot on Monday night at Aroma junction in Akwa.

Ikenga, who noted that the murderers made off with the victim’s car, said an investigation on the matter has already commenced.

“Information reveals that Mr. Fabian, a staff of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka was allegedly shot by unidentified gunmen yesterday 16th December 2024 at 10.10 pm at Aroma Junction,” he said in a statement.

“The murderers also made away with his car, a Toyota Corolla 2006 model, Ash colour with an Enugu Plate number, UWN 158 AS.”

Ikenga urged the public to come forward with any useful information that could aid the investigation.

“The command also urges members of the public who might have seen the vehicle or any abandoned vehicle with a similar description to report to the closest police station or call the command control room number,” he said.

A report quoted a witness as claiming that Fabian was blocked off by another vehicle whose occupants proceeded to gun down the lecturer when he came out of his car to protest.

Fabian Osita Chinedu hailed from Nteje in the Oyi local government area of Anambra.

He was a lecturer at a lecturer in at UNIZIK’s business administration department.

The FCT police say they are probing an alleged bullying involving a student of Beautiful Beginning Academy Abuja.

On 2 December, a video surfaced on social media appearing to show some senior students bullying a younger junior colleague.

The alleged victim, identified only as Imitiyas and said to be in SS2, was depicted as being subdued.

The video showed the senior final-year students ordering Imitiyas, who had his neck strung up with a chain, to lie on the floor.

Since going viral on social media, the footage has generated outrage and calls for a police investigation.

TheCable contacted Josephine Adeh, FCT police spokesperson, but she had yet to respond as of this report.

Adeh, who disclosed that the school is already being probed, told BBC that none of the family members of the alleged victim reported the matter to the police.

The school Principal Aaron Ipke, while addressing the press in Abuja on Tuesday, was quoted as hedging that the students involved were engaged in an act of “playful performance” misinterpreted as evidence of bullying.

He argued that the school has had an open-door policy that allows students to report any harassment concerns.

Ikpe claimed the students arranged for the clip to be recorded on a device provided by the school while other students in the hostel watched the performance.

“There was no bullying case here at BBA. It was a make-believe. We were in school at the time. And the way we run our school, we operate an open-door policy,” he was quoted as saying.

“Students, even from the nursery, come to the MD’s office, to the principal’s office, to express any concerns they might have. We don’t have that kind of bureaucracy. So, if there was any bullying at all, at least one student would have heard about it and reported it to us.

“It wasn’t a case of bullying. They staged a play. Interestingly, they did it in their hostel, and there were other students around watching.”

Ipke was further quoted as expressing shock at the allegation of bullying made by family members of the SS2 student.

He said the school had never recorded a case of bullying in its 14 years of existence.

“No such report was made until the sisters came on Monday to tell us there was a bullying case in the school. In 14 years of existence, we’ve never had a situation like this or a case of this nature,” the principal said.

The staff of Lagos State University (LASU) under the aegis of the joint action committee of academic and non-academic unions have declared an indefinite strike.

NAN reports that the staff are embarking on a strike over salary disparities between LASU and other universities in the state.

The unions’ other demands include payment of a 20 percent salary increase as promised by the governor during his election campaign and payment of the 20 percent and 35 percent agreement reached between the federal government and university workers.

The unions involved include the LASU chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

Obafemi Sanni, the chairman of the NASU-LASU, said the genesis of the industrial action was the promised 20 percent salary increase made by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, during his electioneering campaign.

Obafemi said after the election, the governor only paid the civil servants at the government secretariat, neglecting the staff of the tertiary institutions.

“Even before Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) and Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) transmuted to universities, their staff were earning more than LASU staff.”

Obafemi added that when the administration came on board as new leaders, the unions wrote to the state government to look into the disparities.

“Also, the 20 percent and 35 percent agreement reached between the federal government and university workers.

“We set up a committee to look into it and sent all our requests to the government to harmonise salaries of all the academic institutions in the state.

“We had several meetings with the Lagos state ministry of tertiary education and the ministry of establishment and training.

“Also, the LASU management tried to step into the matter. The vice-chancellor has pleaded severally, but we cannot continue to sacrifice the welfare of our union members.”

Ibrahim Bakare, chairman of ASUU-LASU, said the unions are more interested in peace, adding that the action is an agitation for staff welfare.

Bakare said all unions in the institution decided to come together and collaborate to get to where they were today.

“We are being civil and not disrespecting the Senate of the university. We will remain calm for the government to address our demands and call us for a meeting,” he said.