A lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (NAU), Chukwudi Okoye, has recounted how a female student, Precious Mbakwe, assaulted him for interrupting her TikTok video.
The incident
PREMIUM TIMES, on Tuesday reported that the female student, Ms Mbakwe, allegedly assaulted Mr Okoye, after he interrupted her while she was recording a video in the university corridor.
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The incident happened at the Faculty of Arts building of the NAU, popularly known as UNIZIK.
Videos reviewed by this newspaper show Ms Mbakwe, a third-year History and International Studies student, recording a video when Mr Okoye, a lecturer at the Department of Theatre Arts, walked past in the video, tapping her and saying “excuse me”.
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The student reacted, gave him a look of disdain and told someone off her video angrily: “Can you imagine, he just hit me.”
Other viral videos show Ms Mbakwe confronting Mr Okoye, questioning his actions. The scenario escalated, drawing the attention of students and officials and turned chaotic.
The video also showed the student fighting ‘hard’ and tearing the right side of the lecturer’s brown native clothes.
She was also seen holding onto the lecturer, who appeared to be in his 50s with slightly grey hairs.
The videos, however, show that Mr Okoye did not fight back even as the student dragged him by his shirt.
Photos online also reveal deep bite marks on his arms, and another image shows Mr Okoye receiving medical treatment, reportedly at the school clinic.
The university management subsequently ordered an investigation into the incident.
How I was assaulted – Lecturer
Mr Okoye, in a video clip circulating on Facebook on Wednesday, narrated how the female student assaulted him.
The academic said he was heading to his office from the classroom when he met the female student along the faculty’s corridor.
“She was making a TikTok video and I needed to pass because of the way the place was and someone was on the other side.
“I just tapped her and said, ‘excuse me’ and walked off. And when she made that insulting comment, I had to turn back to first ascertain if she was a student or my student in the department,” he narrated.
Continuing, the lecturer said: “I then needed her to delete the video. I actually asked her to delete it right in front of me. When she refused, I stretched my hand to confiscate the phone.
“And that was when all hell let loose and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Mr Okoye said he will not comment further and will leave the committee set up to investigate the matter to do their work.
PREMIUM TIMES contacted the lecturer, on Thursday morning, to ascertain if he confiscating the student’s mobile phone when he stretched his hands.
“No. I didn’t touch it. My hands didn’t even get to the phone,” he responded.
Student’s account
Meanwhile, in her earlier account via a post on social media, Ms Mbakwe said she was recording a video when she felt someone push her and said “excuse me”.
“Initially, I thought it was a student, but when I turned around, I was shocked to see a man –a lecturer unbeknownst to me. I whispered to my friend, ‘Omo, see how this lecturer pushed me,’ and my friend tried to reassure me,” she wrote.
The student said someone immediately tried to grab her phone from behind her but she held on tightly before turning to see it was the same person who interrupted her video. “Mind you, I didn’t even know he was a lecturer. I pleaded with him, ‘sorry sir, why are you dragging my phone? But he remained silent, tugging at my phone until it fell and broke,” she said.
She also claimed the lecturer grabbed her “breast region and said unspeakable things” to her.
“I was left stunned, trying to comprehend the horror unfolding before me. As I realised my cleavage was exposed, I begged him to let me go, but he ignored my pleas, holding me firmly. His nails and clutches left certain prints and scratches on my chest rather,” she wrote.
“I was mortified. I tried to cover myself, pulling my dress together, and exclaimed in desperation, ‘Sir, I’ll hold you oh!’. I didn’t mean to threaten him; I just wanted him to release me. But he wouldn’t budge. In a split second, I bit his hands, hoping he’d let go. That was when I held his clothes and accidentally tore his shirt.
“The situation escalated, with some students intervening and in no time, I saw theatre arts students (from his department) approaching me with weapons. I was so terrified and hurt. The securities eventually arrive, taking me away in their van.”
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