Madonna University, Elele Campus, Rivers State, has reportedly expelled a final-year nursing student identified simply as Mercy and suspended 14 other 500-level students over a viral TikTok video.
CDA News Nigeria reports that the video showed nursing students dancing in a hospital waiting area, on a staircase, and on a bus. Mercy appeared in the opening seconds, dancing in a hospital hallway, and allegedly received her expulsion letter during the week. The routine was part of the “Gen Z nurses” challenge, a social media trend featuring healthcare workers dancing in clinical settings.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the decision was first made public by medical influencer Nurse Girma, who said in a video on Friday that the university senate had approved the sanctions. He said the student who owned the TikTok account was expelled while the others were suspended, and he appealed to the university to temper justice with mercy.
The video was reportedly recorded on the Elele campus and posted in August. By Saturday evening, the account that published it had been set to private.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has also appealed to the university. It said the sanctions could have a lasting effect on the students’ academics, careers, and well-being, and urged the school to issue a stern letter of warning instead of expulsion.
Reactions online have been divided. Some users argued that final-year nursing students should know professional standards, while others called expulsion disproportionate and suggested lesser penalties such as withheld results or community service.
At the time of filing, the university had not issued a public statement on the matter.
CDA News Nigeria will update this story as more information emerges.
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