Amnesty demands reversal of Madonna varsity nursing students’ sanctions

Amnesty International has called on Madonna University, Elele Campus in Rivers State to reverse the expulsion of one final-year nursing student and the suspension of 14 other nursing students from the 500-level for a viral TikTok video. The rights group described the punishments as excessive and urged the university to resolve the issue through dialogue and mediation.

The video, which showed nursing students dancing in various parts of the campus, was part of a social media challenge known as the “Gen Z nurses” challenge. The university expelled the final-year student, Mercy, and suspended the others following the video’s viral spread on social media. Amnesty International emphasized that heavy-handed disciplinary actions could have significant consequences on the students' academic progress and that the students were entitled to freedom of expression, academic freedom, and education.