Following the expulsion of Ekpo Iniobong Isang, a 500 level student of Agricultural Engineering, from the Akwa Ibom State University for allegedly insulting the State Governor Udom Emmanuel in a post on Facebook, human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has threatened to sue the school if the decision is not reversed and compensation paid.

In March, John Udo, the Registrar, had said the university expelled Isang for “act of gross misconduct which constitutes a breach of the Matriculation Oath”.

But in a pre-action notice to the Vice Chancellor of the University, Effiong disputed some claims by the university’s disciplinary committee and accused it of denying Isang fair hearing.

“At no time did Akwa Ibom State University invite or summon our client to appear before the University’s Students Disciplinary Committee prior to his indefinite suspension. Therefore, our client could not have failed or refused to attend a meeting that never took place to his knowledge as claimed in the indefinite suspension letter,” Effiong stated.

“Our client was not shown, confronted or availed with the purported ‘abusive post’ or ‘derogatory and defamatory article’ that he is accused of of publishing on social media against the Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

“Our client was not shown, confronted or availed with any petition or complaint written against him to the University by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State over any post published by him on social media.”

The lawyer demanded that the university restore Isang’s studentship, allow him a waiver to write the examinations and tests he missed during the period of suspension and expulsion, and pay a N20,000,000 compensation for the trauma and depression he suffered.