Tansian University, a faith-based university in Anambra State, has set up a five-man investigative committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Carter Nnamdi Dike Umeoduagu.
Umeoduagu died on Saturday, a day after he was sworn in as the Vice-Chancellor of the university.
He had been acting Vice-Chancellor for two months after the former Vice-Chancellor travelled abroad on medical leave.
DAILY POST learnt that the position had been embroiled in controversy after the former VC returned and claimed that his tenure, which ended on September 30, 2026, had been extended until 2030.
The Governing Council, however, swore in Umeoduagu as substantive VC on Friday.
Sources said that after a brief ceremony to mark the event, he went home, took ill and died on Saturday morning.
In a press release by the university’s Board of Trustees and Management, the five-man committee was constituted to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
The committee was announced by the Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Very Rev. Fr. Prof. E.S.C. Obiorah (SAN), during a board meeting on Monday.
The committee has been given 48 hours to submit its action plan, including recommendations on the university’s involvement in the funeral arrangements and its response to the forthcoming autopsy report.
Obiorah, in the release, described the late Vice-Chancellor as a “hero and a fine scholar” who fought bravely for the growth and development of the institution.
He, however, raised concerns over possible negligence in the circumstances surrounding the death, saying the autopsy would help establish what actually happened.
“The result of the autopsy will definitely reveal the true cause of his death. The university will erect a memorial in honour of the late academic,” he said.
The university said it would support the deceased’s family in its decision to authorise an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death.
Umeoduagu’s death has thrown the university community into mourning, with the Board of Trustees, Governing Council, Management, Senate, staff and students describing it as a profound loss to the institution, his family and the Nigerian academic community.
The university described Umeoduagu as a vibrant and promising scholar who devoted considerable energy to strengthening its academic programmes and institutional standards.
It said his vision extended beyond Tansian University, as he strongly believed in the capacity of Nigerian universities to attain higher academic standards and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Meanwhile, Tansian University has declared a two-week mourning period in honour of the late academic. Academic activities have been postponed, while the university flag will remain at half-mast throughout the mourning period.
The institution also appealed to the public and the media to respect the privacy of the bereaved family and refrain from speculation or the circulation of unverified information concerning the circumstances of his death.
It said: “The impact of Prof. Umeoduagu’s service, academic ideals and commitment to the advancement of education would remain part of the institutional memory of Tansian University.”
Tansian University sets up panel to probe VC’s death one day after swearing in