Authorities of the Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri has expelled 15 final year law students over their involvement in examination malpractice.

The expelled students included a priest of an orthodox church and a lecturer in the Department of Management Sciences.

According to the source, the official of the institution, who spearheaded the rustication, threatened to sue the university management if the expulsion was not ratified.

The source, who described the rustication as “very harsh”, however admitted that the students were guilty as charged.

He insisted that the affected students should not be made scapegoats since most of the students even in other departments engaged in similar malfeasance.

He revealed that some of the students hired mercenaries to sit examinations for them while others used their telephone handsets during examinations.

He further disclosed that the priest had to hire a mercenary to sit examination in his stead because of insecurity in the Orlu axis of the state which stopped him from traveling to Owerri to sit examination.

According to the source, the reverend father was driving to Owerri when his vehicle was shot at by unknown gunmen leading to his inability to eventually present himself at the examination hall on the fateful day.

The source alleged that the cabal that championed the rustication opposed the female lecturer studying law whilst in the employ of the same university.

When contacted, the public relations officer of the university, Sir Ralph Njoku-Obi, said he was yet to be briefed by the school authority on the development