COOU: Osegbue Institutes N2.6bn Suit Against Omenugha, Nwokoye Over Illegal Suspension
Prof. Chike Osegbue, a lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) has demanded damages amounting to N2,620,000,000 from the Vice Chancellor and other members of the institution over alleged illegal suspension.
Osegbue made the demand in a suit filed through his lawyers F.N. Chike-Osegbue Chambers at the National Industrial Court, Awka Division with no. NICO/AWK/30/2026 and copy made available to journalists in Awka on Tuesday.
Respondents in the suit are Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Governing Council of COOU, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Prof. Kate Omenugha, Dr Agary Nwokoye, Prof. Azikiwe Onwughalu and the Registrar.
Osegbue was suspended in January for allegedly not teaching a course Pol/PSC.811:environmental Politics and Sustainable Development to postgraduate students.
But the lecturer prayed the court to determine whether the students in question (2024/2025 MSC) were valid students of the University in view of the University Law, Academic Regulations for Postgraduate studies and and NUC Regulations,
He said he did not commit any misconduct as alleged for refusing to examine students who did not attend his lectures and that the disciplinary action against him was not warranted.
“Whether the Claimant’s fundamental right to dignity of his person, freedom of access to the University, his personal effects, and office where he carries out his official duties were unjustly infringed upon,” it said.
Osegbue therefore prayed the court to declare that the MSC students were neither full-fledged students nor eligible to be examined as they neither attended lectures nor met 75 percent attendance calculated over a nine weeks of intensive lecture.
He also prayed the court to declare every disciplinary action taken against him were in defiance to relevant laws of the University and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That action be declared mala fide, malicious, illegal, absurd, arbitrary, condemnable, wrongful, misconceived, unlawful, and amounts to flagrant abuse of power and authority, null and void ab initio, and of no effect,
“Order directing the Governing Council through its Chairman, the Pro-Chancellor of University to withdraw every action taken against the Claimant and investigate the involvements of Omenugha and Nwokoye in framing the Claimant,” he said.
“N500 million be awarded as general damages, against the University, Governing Council, Odinkalu and Onwughalu to be paid jointly, and severally for turning a blind eye to the outrageous and vindictive actions of Omenugha and Nwokoye .
“Punitive damages of N1 billion against Omenugha for her outrageous, malicious, vengeful, vindictive, and gross misconduct, by instigating the framing of the Claimant, using the Nwokoye to author a trumped-up petition.
“An Aggravated damages of N1 billion against Omenugha, for the mental, emotional, psychological torture, and trauma, humiliation, spite, economic hardship, and starvation occasioned against the Claimant and restraining the him, from carrying out both his teaching and research work.
“Punitive damages of N50 against Nwokoye, for working in concert with Omenugha to fabricate a trumped-up petition, to be signed by MSC students,.
“Aggravated damages of N50 million against Nwokoye, for maliciously issuing a query to the Claimant, without authority, for no just cause, based on a trumped-up petition he authored and threatened the MSC students to type and sign.
“N20 million general damages against Omenugha, and Nwokoye, to be paid jointly, and severally, for their outrageous, malicious, humiliating, degrading and spiteful actions against the Claimant.
“An Order restraining Omenugha, Onwualu, or any other person from further harassing, embarrassing, and threatening the life, and job of Osegbue, as well as withholding a
ny part of his salary,” it said.
