Madonna University, Elele Campus, Rivers State, has expelled a final-year nursing student identified simply as Mercy and suspended 14 other 500-level students over a viral TikTok video showing nursing students dancing on campus.
The video showed a group of nursing students dancing in a hospital waiting area, on a staircase and inside a bus.
Mercy, who appeared in the opening seconds of the clip dancing in a hospital corridor, reportedly received her expulsion letter during the week.
The video was part of a social media trend known as the “Gen Z nurses” challenge, which features healthcare workers dancing in clinical settings.
It carried a Pidgin English caption that read, “No fall sick o, na Gen Z full hospital now.”
By Saturday evening, the TikTok account used to post the video had been made private, while direct messages sent to the account were undelivered.
The video was reportedly uploaded in August and gained wider attention after being shared by social media blogs early last month.
A 15-second version posted by Yabaleftonline on September 1 had garnered more than 1.7 million views on X by Saturday.
The video was filmed on the university’s Elele campus.
Madonna University, established as the first private Catholic university in West Africa, has campuses in Elele, Rivers State; Okija, Anambra State; and Akpugo, Enugu State.
Online appeal for clemency
A medical influencer and TikTok content creator, Nurse Girma (@nurse_girma), drew public attention to the video and launched an online appeal urging the university to reconsider the sanctions.
In a video posted on Friday, Girma confirmed that the university senate had imposed disciplinary measures on the students.
“The information reaching us from last night and this morning is that the owner of the account has been expelled and other students involved have been served suspension,” he said.
Girma said the video had attracted widespread negative attention and prompted calls among healthcare professionals for stricter regulation of students’ conduct.
He said he initially believed the students were registered nurses but deleted some of his earlier comments after learning that they were undergraduates.
“Yesterday night, unfortunately, the senate of her school handed out an expulsion letter and every other person involved, a suspension letter.
“I know what has happened has happened, but I want to appeal to the school to temper justice with mercy; when it came to me that she is a 500-level student, it really melted my heart,” he said.
Mixed reactions
The disciplinary action sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some users supporting the university’s decision and others calling for leniency.
An X user, Ize (@santaluceya), backed the sanctions, arguing that the students had violated known institutional guidelines.
“They respect and value their name and their image; if you are their student, you can’t post anything controversial or silly online,” Ize wrote.
The user also claimed that nursing students at Madonna University paid between N1.5m and N1.8m per session and alleged that Mercy was asked to delete the video after it began attracting views but refused.
Similarly, a TikTok user, Sharon (@officialsharonbackup), argued that the students had mocked the healthcare profession.
“These are not 100-level students; they are final-year students about to become registered nurses who made a video that mocked patients,” Sharon wrote.
However, other users urged the university to reconsider the punishment.
TikTok user Her Excellency (@her_excellency75) described the dance as a harmless form of stress relief, saying there should be a balance between discipline and students’ wellbeing.
On X, Nurse Bassey (@nursebassey_) questioned whether expulsion was proportionate given the years of study and financial investment involved.
“Do you think nursing school is a two-month course? You can condemn the video if you think it was inappropriate, but expulsion after years of school fees, clinicals, exams, and sacrifice?” Bassey wrote.
Another TikTok user, Cynthia Mordi, suggested that the university could instead have withheld the students’ results for a year or assigned them community service.
Nursing students seek review
The National Executive Council of the Nigerian Universities Nursing Students’ Association expressed concern over the sanctions and said it had begun discussions with relevant authorities to seek a review.
In a statement signed by its National President, Madu Valentine, and Secretary General, Ogwuche Joy, NUNSA said it was engaging the university management to seek a fair resolution.
“High-level discussions have already commenced with relevant stakeholders, and decisive steps are being taken to formally communicate our concerns to the university’s management,” the statement said.
“Our primary objective is to seek a fair, just, and favourable resolution by adequately representing the interests and welfare of the affected students,” it added.
The National Association of Nigerian Students also appealed to the university for clemency.
In a statement by its President, Akinteye Afeez, NANS said expulsion at this stage could have serious consequences for the students’ academic and professional futures.
“An expulsion at this stage could have a lasting toll on their academics, their future careers, and their mental and emotional well-being,” the association said.
It urged the university to consider issuing the students stern warning letters instead of expelling them.
When contacted by The Telegraph, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Madonna University, Chima Achu, said the institution would issue an official statement on the matter on Monday.
“The university will officially respond to this issue, and you will get it on Monday,” Achu said.
