Pressure is mounting on Madonna University, Elele Campus, Rivers State, to review the punishment imposed on 15 nursing students over a viral social media video, with Amnesty International describing the sanctions as disproportionate.
The rights organisation, in a post on its X account on Thursday, called on the university to reverse the expulsion of a final-year nursing student and the suspension of 14 other 500-level students.
Amnesty urged the institution to resolve the matter through dialogue and mediation rather than what it described as heavy-handed disciplinary action.
“Amnesty International urges the authorities of Madonna University Elele Campus, Rivers State, to rescind the expulsion of a final-year nursing student, and the suspension of 14 other 500-level students over a viral TikTok video,” it said.
The students were sanctioned after a video showing nursing students dancing in a hospital waiting area, staircase and bus went viral on social media.
The video, recorded at the university’s Elele campus, was part of a social media trend known as the “Gen Z nurses” challenge. A 15-second version reportedly attracted more than 1.7 million views on X after being published by Yabaleftonline on September 1.
Amnesty said the sanctions could disrupt the students’ academic progress and have wider implications for their fundamental rights.
“The expulsion and suspension are disproportionate. The university should prioritise dialogue and mediation,” the organisation said.
It added that the students were entitled to freedom of expression, academic freedom and education, warning that the punishment could have a “chilling effect” on the exercise of those rights.
Amnesty also urged the university to ensure that its disciplinary procedures complied with international human rights standards.
The call adds to earlier appeals by the Nigerian Universities Nursing Students’ Association (NUNSA) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) for the sanctions to be reviewed.
NUNSA said it had begun discussions with relevant stakeholders on the matter, while NANS appealed for clemency, citing the possible impact of the expulsion on the students’ academic and professional futures.
The university’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Chima Achu, had earlier said the institution would issue an official statement on the matter.
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