The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has condemned the expulsion of a nursing student and the suspension of 14 others by Madonna University.
In a statement, its president, Akinteye Afeez, appealed to the university management for clemency.
“An expulsion at this stage could have a lasting toll on their academics, their future careers, and their mental and emotional well-being.
“Rather than expulsion, we appeal that the students be issued a stern letter of warning,” NANS added.
Chronicle NG reports that the Elele Campus of Madonna University has expelled a final-year nursing student known simply as Mercy while suspending 14 other 500-level students, following a TikTok video that went viral.
The clip featured a group of nursing students dancing in a hospital waiting area, on a staircase, and aboard a bus.
Mercy, who appeared in the opening moments of the clip dancing in a hospital corridor, is said to have received her expulsion letter sometime during the week.
The dance was filmed as part of a social media trend called the “Gen Z nurses” challenge, in which healthcare workers dance in clinical environments.
The video carried a Pidgin English caption that read, “No fall sick, o, na Gen Z full hospital now.”
By Saturday evening, the TikTok account that posted the video had been switched to private, and direct messages sent to the user were still undelivered.
Sources gathered that the clip was uploaded in August and was picked up by social media blogs early last month.
A 15-second version of the video shared by Yabaleftonline on September 1 had amassed more than 1.7 million views on X as of Saturday.
The video was shot on the grounds of the university’s Elele campus.
Madonna University, founded as West Africa’s first private Catholic university, runs three campuses: Elele in Rivers State, Okija in Anambra State, and Akpugo in Enugu State.
Nurse Girma (@nurse_girma), a medical influencer and TikTok content creator, brought public attention to the video and started an online appeal urging the institution to show the affected students leniency.
In a video shared on Friday, Girma verified that the university senate had issued the disciplinary measures.
“The information reaching us from last night and this morning is that the owner of the account has been expelled and other students involved have been served suspension,” Girma said.
He clarified that the video had trended in a negative light, which led healthcare professionals to demand stricter regulation of student conduct.
Girma said he had initially believed the students were registered nurses but later removed some of his commentary once he learned they were undergraduates.
“Yesterday night, unfortunately, the senate of her school handed out an expulsion letter and every other person involved, a suspension letter.
“I know what has happened has happened, but I want to appeal to the school to temper justice with mercy; when it came to me that she is a 500-level student, it really melted my heart,” he said.
In response to the development, the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Universities Nursing Students’ Association voiced concern about the sanctions.
In a statement signed by its National President, Madu Valentine, and Secretary General, Ogwuche Joy, NUNSA said it had begun discussions with the relevant authorities to pursue a review of the decision.
“High-level discussions have already commenced with relevant stakeholders, and decisive steps are being taken to formally communicate our concerns to the university’s management,” the statement read.
“Our primary objective is to seek a fair, just, and favorable resolution by adequately representing the interests and welfare of the affected students,” NUNSA added.
