According to Prof. Obi, Akpan, who was serving as the Head of the Department (HOD) of Pharmacology, allegedly tampered with 235 out of 242 exam result scripts for the Introduction to General Antimicrobial Pharmacology (PHM 311) course. The lecturer is accused of manipulating the students’ scores using his position of authority within the department.

The Vice-Chancellor further revealed that Akpan allegedly awarded marks to two students who did not sit for the examinations, with only five of the scripts being marked without any alteration. Akpan reportedly admitted to the misconduct before the Senate Examination Misconduct Committee (SEMC), justifying his actions as an attempt to protect the department’s image, a defense the university management found unacceptable.

In response to these actions, the university has taken the following measures:

- Akpan has been relieved of his duties as HOD and Coordinator of PHM 311.

- He has been suspended from duty, effective October 8, 2024.

- His official responsibilities have been reassigned to other qualified lecturers in the department.

- Akpan has been instructed to stay away from the university premises unless required to respond to invitations from relevant committees.

The management of UNICAL has emphasized that it will not tolerate any form of academic misconduct, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to upholding integrity and academic standards.