Hundreds of staff at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka blocked the main campus gates on Friday in a desperate bid for salaries they have not seen since 2019.
Chanting slogans and waving placards, the protesters accused university leaders of sidelining long-serving employees during the switch to the federal payroll system.
They claimed management exploited a government employment waiver by holding special payroll captures off campus in Enugu, where they allegedly favoured cronies instead of the original hires.
One protester summed up the frustration: years of hard work have left families hungry and dreams shattered.
Several colleagues have already died from the hardship, echoing the pain from earlier demonstrations in 2024 and 2025 when the arrears stood at five years.
But Vice-Chancellor Prof Bond Anyaehie pushed back firmly.
He insisted the delays form part of a careful phased integration plan and denied any wrongdoing or favouritism.
Management, he said, is simply following federal guidelines step by step.
Meanwhile, the protest highlights a deeper crisis gripping many Nigerian public universities.
Opposition leader Peter Obi has previously urged the federal government to step in and clear similar backlogs, warning that talented lecturers and support staff are slipping through the cracks because of chronic underfunding.
For now, the gates remain shut and lectures hang in the balance.
Staff say they will not leave until every kobo owed reaches their accounts – a clear sign that patience has finally run out after six years of silence.
