Authorities of the Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) in Zamfara State has refuted claims by Bernard Odoh, the recently removed vice chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), that he was employed as a professor at the institution.
Addressing the matter in an emergency press conference on Thursday, FUGUS vice chancellor Prof. Muazu Abubakar categorically stated that Odoh was neither hired nor confirmed as a professor at the university.
He said Odoh “has neither served as a professor at the Federal University of Gusau nor did the university ever employ him.”
He described letters presented by Odoh as evidence of his appointment and confirmation—dated April 30, 2015, and November 12, 2015—as “products of administrative fraud.”
According to Abubakar, these documents were purportedly certified by the university’s former registrar Ibrahim Kaura yet dated November 8, 2024—several years after Kaura left office.
Odoh’s removal as UNIZIK vice chancellor was announced on Wednesday by President Bola Tinubu, alongside the dissolution of the university’s governing council and the dismissal of its registrar Rosemary Nwokike.
In a subsequent interview with Arise TV, Odoh dismissed his removal via a press release, arguing that due process required a recommendation from an investigative council.
Prof. Abubakar highlighted that the university has been inundated with inquiries regarding Odoh’s alleged appointment, prompting an internal investigation.
“In response to public enquiries, the university management, after a thorough internal scrutiny, issued a disclaimer to the effect that Dr. Odoh was neither employed by the university nor appointed as a professor,” Abubakar said.
Despite this disclaimer, he noted that Odoh has continued to parade falsified documents as evidence of his purported employment, causing reputational harm to the university.