Dr. Olabode Wale Ojoniyi claims he was punched, headbutted, pinned to an office door and threatened with death by Dr. Awaritoma Agoma; suspension letter dated April 28, 2026 deepens controversy.
By Kadijat Bello
ABUJA, Nigeria — August 30, 2026 — A senior lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Dr. Olabode Wale Ojoniyi, has accused the Head of Department (HOD), Dr. Awaritoma Agoma, of subjecting him to a brutal assault and issuing threats to kill him during a confrontation in the HOD’s office.
Ojoniyi, who is also Acting Director of the Centre for Wole Soyinka Studies, made the allegations in a formal complaint to the Vice-Chancellor via the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and the Head of Theatre Arts, according to documents obtained for this report.
Allegations: Assault, repeated punches and death threats
Claim of physical violence during an argument linked to postgraduate supervision
In his complaint, Ojoniyi alleged that Agoma pushed, shoved, headbutted and repeatedly punched him in the face after a disagreement that began around academic issues involving a postgraduate student.
He said the confrontation started after he was summoned to the HOD’s office—following requests for him to see Agoma—where another lecturer, Dr. Olympus Ejue, was reportedly present.
Ojoniyi’s account linked the dispute to a seminar presentation by a postgraduate student identified as Richard Gbilekaa, and to what he described as escalating hostility after he challenged accusations that he deliberately worked against the progress of the student.
HOD allegedly ordered him out, threatened retaliation and pinned his neck
Ojoniyi further claimed that Agoma ordered him to leave the office and threatened to “cut me to size.” When he questioned the order—arguing the office was not a private space—he alleged that Agoma became violent.
He said Agoma rose in anger, pushed and shoved him, headbutted him, and punched him repeatedly on the face, resulting in blistering in his mouth, swelling of his lips, and swelling of his face.
Ojoniyi also alleged that Agoma later pinned his neck against the office door while threatening to kill him, describing difficulty breathing during the alleged attack. He said a postgraduate student, Femi Emmanuel, intervened and helped free him.
Alleged warning to the witness and non-retaliation by Ojoniyi
According to the lecturer, Agoma also threatened Emmanuel and warned him against telling anyone what he witnessed. Ojoniyi stated he did not retaliate physically throughout the confrontation.
He said he sought medical attention at the University clinic after the incident and was experiencing ongoing pain and difficulty swallowing at the time of writing the complaint.
Academic dispute: Postgraduate corrections, supervision and removal from coordinator role
Long-running disagreement over assessment procedures and correction timelines
Ojoniyi’s complaint described a longstanding dispute over supervision and academic assessment, particularly involving Gbilekaa and another student, Sunday Etim.
He said the disagreement intensified after he returned from an international conference in June 2025, when he was informed by Agoma and another lecturer, Dr. Agozie, about petitions allegedly submitted by postgraduate students to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies.
Ojoniyi alleged that:
- Gbilekaa attempted to submit a second seminar paper without properly addressing corrections from his first seminar.
- Etim allegedly failed to implement corrections identified during internal defence.
- His insistence on strict adherence to academic procedures led to disagreements with colleagues.
He claimed the dispute eventually resulted in his removal as Postgraduate Coordinator, after which Agoma allegedly told him he could not work with him and directed him to hand over the position—an action he said he complied with, including submitting a handover note signed by Agoma.
Counter-allegations and “cut to size” warning: escalation after overheard discussions
Ojoniyi alleges Agoma boasted about “cutting his feathers”
Ojoniyi said he later overheard Agoma discussing him with Dr. Ejue, allegedly boasting that he had “started cutting my feathers” and would “further cut me to size.”
He said he confronted the lecturers after overhearing the conversation and reported the matter to senior academics. He described the July 23, 2025 confrontation as the culmination of what he characterized as a campaign against him.
Demand for protection from further attacks
In the complaint, Ojoniyi requested protection within and outside the university, warning that if any further harm occurred—including kidnapping or assassination—Agoma should be held responsible.
Suspension controversy: University letter dated April 28, 2026
Ojoniyi suspended nearly nine months later over “assault and battering” findings
Despite his allegations against Agoma, the documents also show that nearly nine months after the alleged July 2025 incident, UniAbuja issued a suspension letter dated April 28, 2026.
The suspension letter, signed by Acting Registrar Sambo Mohammed, said the Vice-Chancellor approved Ojoniyi’s suspension following consideration of an Investigation Panel report on an alleged case described as “assault and battering leading to body injuries.”
According to the letter, Ojoniyi would remain suspended pending the outcome of the Staff Disciplinary Committee report. The document stated he would receive half pay during the suspension and required the Vice-Chancellor’s permission to travel outside Abuja.
Ojoniyi rejects suspension; says he reported Agoma’s assault
In a response dated April 30, 2026, Ojoniyi rejected the suspension and argued that the university had wrongly attributed the assault allegation to him. He stated that he was the one who reported the assault case against Agoma on July 23, 2025, and insisted there had been no prior written or verbal allegations against him before any investigation.
He also said he had never appeared before the university’s Staff Disciplinary Committee, adding that he trusted justice would be done and seen to be done.
Lack of public clarity on outcomes of both sides
The documents provided did not indicate the outcome of the investigation into Ojoniyi’s original assault allegation against Agoma, nor did they include a publicly stated, detailed response from the university regarding the physical assault and threat claims.
The absence of publicly available findings—according to the documents reviewed for this report—has fueled renewed questions about how internal disputes, disciplinary procedures, and academic supervision controversies are handled at the institution, particularly when allegations of physical violence and counter-allegations arise.
The allegations by Dr. Ojoniyi and the subsequent suspension notice issued by UniAbuja management have intensified scrutiny of disciplinary processes and internal conflict resolution within the University of Abuja—especially in matters involving postgraduate supervision, assessment disputes, and alleged threats and physical assault.
As the staff disciplinary process remains a key point of focus, stakeholders are calling for transparent clarification on:
- the findings into the original assault allegations against Agoma, and
- the basis and procedural fairness surrounding Ojoniyi’s suspension.
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