The American University of Nigeria (AUN) has placed the Dean of its School of Law on indefinite suspension without pay, following the emergence of a court conviction record he failed to disclose at the time of his employment.

Bello Magaji, an associate professor, was suspended pending the outcome of an administrative review by a panel constituted by university management, according to a statement issued by the institution's registrar, Daniel Okereke, on Monday.

The university stated that the decision followed the discovery of Magaji's "non disclosure of prior military service and misrepresentation of records in the university's employee records at the time of employment." It described the conduct as a fundamental breach of trust.

"These actions constitute a fundamental breach of trust and are considered matters of serious concern by the University," the statement read, with the institution reiterating its commitment to "upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in all its operations."

The suspension followed a PREMIUM TIMES investigation published on Sunday, which detailed how Magaji, a former military police officer in the Nigerian Army, was convicted of sodomy by a General Court Martial on 6 February 1997 and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, later reduced to five years, after being found guilty of sexual offences against four individuals, including a 17 year old.

Court documents reviewed by the publication indicated that two victims and one witness testified that Magaji had intoxicated them with alcohol before committing the acts in 1996.

Magaji appealed the ruling through multiple judicial levels. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal on 30 June 2004, and on 7 March 2008, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the conviction, with one justice describing the original sentence as insufficient.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, Magaji never served the prescribed sentence. Former President Goodluck Jonathan granted him a presidential pardon in 2013. The Nigerian Army subsequently altered his official records, replacing his dismissal status with voluntary retirement and restoring his rank and entitlements.

Following his exit from the military, Magaji pursued postgraduate education and built an academic career spanning institutions in Nigeria and Uganda, including serving as Dean of the Faculty of Law at Kampala International University in Uganda, before his appointment at AUN.