Amnesty International has called on the management of Madonna University, Elele Campus, Rivers State, to reverse the expulsion of a final-year nursing student and the suspension of 14 other 500-level nursing students over a viral TikTok video recorded within the university’s teaching hospital.
The international human rights organisation made the demand on Thursday, describing the disciplinary measures as disproportionate and urging the university to resolve the matter through dialogue and mediation.
The intervention has added a new dimension to the controversy that has generated reactions from nursing students, student organisations, healthcare professionals and members of the public since the disciplinary action became known.
The controversy began after a video showing nursing students dancing in different areas of the university’s hospital environment went viral on social media. The footage showed students dancing in a hospital waiting area, staircase and bus as part of a social media trend popularly referred to as the “Gen Z nurses” challenge.
The video reportedly carried the caption, “No fall sick o, na Gen Z full hospital now,” and was uploaded in August before gaining wider attention after being circulated by social media platforms and blogs.
A 15-second version of the video published by Yabaleftonline on September 1 reportedly attracted more than 1.7 million views on X, significantly increasing public attention around the conduct of the students.
Following the controversy, Madonna University expelled one final-year nursing student identified as Mercy and suspended 14 other 500-level nursing students for one year.
The disciplinary action has since generated competing arguments over the appropriate balance between institutional discipline and the academic futures of students preparing to enter a highly regulated healthcare profession.
Amnesty International, in its latest intervention, urged the university authorities to rescind the sanctions, arguing that the punishment imposed on the students was excessive.
The organisation said the students were entitled to freedom of expression, academic freedom and education, warning that the sanctions could have broader implications for the exercise of those rights.
“The expulsion and suspension are disproportionate. The university should prioritise dialogue and mediation,” Amnesty said.
Amnesty further urged the institution to ensure that its disciplinary policies and procedures complied with international human rights standards.
It said the university should uphold the rights of all students, including their rights to education, freedom of expression and academic freedom.
The organisation also warned that harsh disciplinary measures could have a chilling effect on students’ willingness to express themselves, although the case involves additional considerations arising from the location of the video and the professional responsibilities associated with nursing education.
The intervention followed earlier appeals by student organisations seeking a review of the sanctions.
The Nigerian Universities Nursing Students’ Association had commenced engagement with relevant stakeholders and the university management over the matter, calling for constructive dialogue and a fair review of the disciplinary measures.
NUNSA said the affected students included 14 500-level nursing students suspended for one year and one 500-level nursing student who was expelled following the circulation of the video.
The association said its intervention was aimed at protecting the interests and welfare of the affected students while maintaining the dignity of nursing education and the profession.
The National Association of Nigerian Students also appealed to Madonna University to reconsider the expulsion.
NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, acknowledged that the students’ conduct was inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards expected of nursing students but urged the university to replace the expulsion with a stern warning.
Afeez argued that the affected students had invested years of academic work, financial resources and personal sacrifices in pursuing professional careers in nursing.
He said an expulsion at such an advanced stage could have lasting consequences for their academic progression and future careers, while appealing to the university to give the students another opportunity to learn from their actions.
NANS maintained that it did not condone indiscipline but argued that disciplinary measures should also provide opportunities for correction and rehabilitation.
The student body’s intervention has therefore placed the issue within a wider debate about how universities should discipline students without unnecessarily terminating their educational journeys.
The controversy has also attracted divergent reactions from healthcare professionals and members of the public.
Some have supported the university’s decision, arguing that nursing students are being trained for a profession that requires high standards of conduct, particularly within clinical environments.
Others have urged the institution to show leniency, arguing that although the video may have violated institutional or professional expectations, expulsion at the final stage of an undergraduate nursing programme could impose consequences far beyond the original misconduct.
A medical influencer and TikTok content creator, Nurse Girma, had earlier appealed to the university for clemency after the disciplinary action became public.
Girma said he initially believed the individuals in the video were already registered nurses but later learnt that they were undergraduate students. He subsequently appealed to the university to temper disciplinary action with mercy, particularly because of the students’ advanced stage of study.
The controversy has also raised questions about the responsibilities of students when creating social media content in sensitive professional environments.
Unlike ordinary recreational spaces, hospitals involve patients, healthcare workers, clinical procedures and confidential information. Consequently, the recording and publication of entertainment content from such environments can raise questions concerning institutional rules, professionalism, privacy and the image of healthcare institutions.
This aspect of the controversy has made the matter particularly significant for nursing education, where students are expected to combine academic knowledge with professional conduct before entering the healthcare workforce.
The university’s position on the disciplinary action has not yet been fully set out publicly in response to the latest Amnesty intervention.
The institution’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Chima Achu, had earlier said the university would issue an official statement on the matter.
Meanwhile, an affected student has publicly appealed for another opportunity.
In a video circulated on Wednesday, one of the affected 500-level nursing students appealed emotionally to the university to reconsider the punishment, saying she was struggling with how to explain the development to her mother after years of studying nursing.
The student appealed for a second chance, saying the affected students had invested years of sacrifices, sleepless nights and academic effort in pursuing their nursing careers.
The latest appeal from Amnesty International therefore comes at a point when pressure is mounting on Madonna University to review the disciplinary measures.
For the university, the case presents a difficult balance between maintaining discipline and professional standards among students and ensuring that disciplinary sanctions are proportionate to the misconduct established.
For the affected students, however, the consequences are potentially significant because the sanctions involve students at the final stage of their nursing education.
The case also highlights the growing challenge facing universities as students increasingly use TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms to create and share content from academic and professional environments.
The debate is consequently no longer limited to whether the students breached university rules. It has expanded into questions about appropriate disciplinary procedures, student rights, professional ethics, social media responsibility and the extent to which universities should consider rehabilitation when determining sanctions.
Amnesty International has now urged Madonna University to resolve the matter through dialogue and mediation, while NANS and NUNSA have already called for reconsideration of the sanctions.
As the university weighs its next steps, the outcome could become an important reference point in discussions about disciplinary practices in Nigerian universities, particularly where students’ social media activities intersect with professional training and institutional rules.
