Babcock University In The News Again As Student Dies After Suspension For Exam Malpractice

A 20-year-old final-year Computer Science student of Babcock University has died after he was suspended for one academic session by the school.

The student, identified as Joshua Lawson, faced a disciplinary panel for alleged examination malpractice before his death.

Babcock University’s Director of Communication and Marketing, Joshua Suleiman, said that the disciplinary committee found him guilty of examination infractions.

Lawson reportedly took his own life at his family home in Lagos on Wednesday, 25 June 2025, after learning of his suspension. The suspension was set to prevent him from graduating with his peers on 27 July.

“He was a 400-level student. He faced the university disciplinary committee for examination malpractice, was found guilty, and handed a one-year academic suspension,” Suleiman said.

Suleiman distanced the school from the incident, insisting that the death occurred off campus. He noted that the university was unaware of the circumstances that led to Lawson’s death 

The student’s death has sparked reactions from other students and Nigerians who accused the university management of failing to give him a fair hearing and suspending him unjustly, thereby contributing to his death.

But the school spokesman said Lawson was given an opportunity to defend himself.

“He was given an opportunity for a fair hearing according to the university’s rules,” he said.

In a post seen by The Guardian’s correspondent on social media, one X user said 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,” he lamented.

The institution’s rules, which are publicly available, outline strict penalties for academic misconduct, including suspension or expulsion, following a fair hearing.

Students have called for greater compassion in the university’s disciplinary processes and have also condemned the impact of such penalties on students’ mental health.

In July 2024, a Babcock student reportedly died by suicide after failing to make the graduation list.