AUN suspends School of Law dean after PREMIUM TIMES story

The American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, has suspended the Dean of its School of Law, Bello Magaji, following a PREMIUM TIMES investigation detailing how the former military officer avoided serving a prison sentence for sodomy despite his conviction being upheld by Nigeria’s highest court.

The university announced Mr Magaji’s suspension in a statement by its registrar, Daniel Okereke, on Monday.

According to the statement, Mr Magaji, an associate professor, has also been placed on indefinite leave without pay pending the outcome of an administrative review by a panel constituted by the university management.

AUN said the decision followed the discovery of Mr Magaji’s “non-disclosure of prior military service and misrepresentation of records in the university’s employee records at the time of employment.”

“These actions constitute a fundamental breach of trust and are considered matters of serious concern by the University,” the statement said.

The institution reiterated its commitment to “upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in all its operations.”

PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday reported how Mr Magaji, a former military police officer in the Nigerian Army, convicted of sodomy by a General Court Martial (GCM), never served his prison sentence despite the Supreme Court upholding the sentence.

In 1997, the military court sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment, later reduced to five years, after it found him guilty of sodomy with four boys, including a 17-year-old.

According to court documents reviewed by this newspaper, two victims and one witness testified during trial that he had intoxicated them with alcohol before having carnal knowledge of them sometime in 1996.

Mr Magaji maintained he is innocent and claimed he was framed for prosecuting some cases as a military police officer. He pursued the case through Nigeria’s court hierarchies. From the General Court Martial, the Court of Appeal, to the Supreme Court, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (HRVIC), popularly known as the Oputa Panel, was set up in 1999 by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo upon Nigeria’s transition to civil rule.

In 2008, the Supreme Court upheld the 1997 conviction. Yet, Mr Magaji never served his time.

Instead, former President Goodluck Jonathan granted him a presidential pardon five years later in 2013.

The Nigerian Army has also altered Mr Magaji’s official records, replacing his dismissal from service with a voluntary retirement.

Following his exit from the military, Mr Magaji built an academic career, holding senior positions in Nigerian universities, including serving as dean of law faculties.