She “Stole” My ₦150,000 Watch!" Nigerian Nursing Student Calls Out Examiner
Published: 05:46 PM BST, Thursday, August 28, 2025
A nursing student in Nigeria has called out her examiner, accusing her of stealing a ₦150,000 wristwatch during a Public Health Pre-Professional Exam. The controversy ignited when the student arrived 30 minutes late due to a devastating vehicle breakdown. In her frantic rush to enter the examination hall, she forgot to remove her analog wristwatch. The initial examiner, showing a trace of compassion, allowed her into the examination hall after hearing her explanation, but the situation quickly deteriorated.
The tension boiled over when another examiner came saw her with a wristwatch, seized it and passing it to the chief examiner. Despite the student’s explanation, the chief examiner refused to return the item—a treasured Adimax brand watch—and walked off with it.
Originally bought for $59, with an additional $16 shipping fee, the total cost was roughly ₦150,000 in the current market value. She slams this as a blatant violation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria’s Code of Ethics, which demands respect for others’ rights and forbids any abuse of power.
Refusing to stay quiet, the student reported this to her Head of Department (HOD), who stepped in to confront the examiner, pleading for the watch’s return. The examiner made an empty promise to comply but failed to deliver, leaving the student stripped of her property.
Initially, one would think that the examiner forgot and left with the watch, however weeks have passed now and she hasnt returned it.
This incident was reported to Fellow Nurses Africa, including the necessary details and name of this examiner. We have kept this private in this report, giving her the opportunity to make amends and return this watch as soon as possible. Without this, we won’t hesitate to make the details public. We are also demanding the school to address this as soon as possible and enforce strict measures to prevent future violations.
Nursing Ethics and Examiner Conduct
Nursing ethics, as outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, emphasize integrity, respect, and fairness—principles that extend to all interactions, including those in educational settings. The act of an examiner confiscating a personal item like a wristwatch and refusing to return it raises serious ethical questions. While enforcing exam rules is necessary, permanently taking a student’s property without justification or restitution crosses a line into abuse of power. This behavior not only undermines trust but also contradicts the ethical duty to uphold fairness, suggesting such actions are unjustifiable unless clear protocols and due process are followed—none of which appear to have occurred here.
Call to Action
Nurses, have you faced similar experiences of unfair treatment or ethical breaches during exams or training? Share your stories with us in the comments below or reach out to Fellow Nurses Africa to help shed light on these issues and push for change. Together, we can demand accountability and uphold the integrity of our profession!
Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support the nursing profession.
