Barely 24 hours after a student of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of a gun and illegal association, the Academic Board of the institution has approved the expulsion of 27 other students for offences bordering on examination misconduct.

The decision followed the consideration of reports of various committees set up to review the conduct of examinations in the institution.

Among the students expelled was Adeyemi Michael Seun, with matriculation number 2019/ND/ARC/011 from the Department of Architectural Technology, who was found in possession of a textbook relevant to the examination he was taking.

Mohammed Iliasu Maikudi from the Public Administration Department with matric number 2018/HND/PAD/769 and Kadiri Samson, 2017/ND/OTM/034, from the Department of Office Technology and Management, were expelled for hiring mercenaries to sit examinations for them.

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The board is also in the process of withdrawing the certificates of their accomplices, Oladimeji Emmanuel and Ekeono Oluwaseyi, who are former students of the institution, for unworthy actions that portrayed the polytechnic in a bad light.

Twenty-four other students from the School of Management Studies were expelled for various offences related to examination malpractices.

The board also considered the recommendations of the Academic Board Results Verification Committee and approved the supplementary results of 3,262 students for the 2018/2019 session.

It also approved an offer from the Federal University, Lokoja, to establish its study centre in the polytechnic for the purpose of running programmes such as, top-up, conversion and post-graduate programmes.

While commending members of the board for the support so far, the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Salisu Usman, restated the management’s commitment to upholding the dignity of the institution through strict adherence to rules.