Joshua Lawson, a 20 year-old final-year student of Computer Science department at Babcock University, has died after he was suspended for one academic session by the school.
Lawson, faced a
the disciplinary committee, and the panel found him guilty of examination infractions.
It was gathered that, the outcome of the disciplinary panel may have been unbearable for him, and reportedly took his own life at his family home in Lagos on Wednesday, 25 June 2025, after he learnt of his suspension. The suspension was set to prevent him from graduating with his peers on 27 July.
A 400-level student who was found guilty, and handed a one-year academic suspension, it is believed that he could not cope with the trauma, and decided to terminate his own life.
Lawson’s death however sparked reactions on social media. Some accused the university management of failing to give him a fair hearing and suspending him unjustly, thereby contributing to his death.
The school defended it’s stand, saying that Lawson was given an opportunity to defend himself, as fair hearing was part of the university’s rules in such case.
A staff of the university further said that the death occurred off campus, so the school is unaware of the circumstances that led to it, nor responsible for the death.
Meanwhile, a post that attracted attention on X (formerly Twitter) claimed that the university management failed to respond to Lawson’s emails for weeks and laughed in his face.
“After weeks and weeks of not responding to the appeal mail sent by him, they eventually sent a response yesterday for him to come today.
He gets there and they laugh in his face, letting him know that if he is still standing his ground, he is wasting his time. Wicked lots,” the user wrote.
The user added that the examination malpractice allegations were false and had not been proven.
“False accusations with no proof at all and then refusing to listen to their side, enforcing guilt on them. All this in their final year, a very pivotal moment in one’s life, and after writing exams,” the post reads.
Meanwhile, Babcock University rules, which are available to students and the public, outline strict penalties for academic misconduct, including suspension or expulsion, following a fair hearing.
