A female student at the English Department of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has accused a lecturer in the department of sexual harassment.
The student whose name was not made public shared her story, and nude photographs of the lecturer with popular blogger, Linda Ikeji.
“I have been suffering this for months now. Whenever students go to his office for anything he is always trying to touch you,” the blog post quoted the student as alleging.
“I took pictures of him on one of the days I entered his office. He has made molestation a part of him. I’m even scared for (sic) my life in Unilag. That’s why I’m reaching out to you so he can be stopped.
“He is a profesor in the English department, Faculty of Arts. I am not his first victim. He does this all the time to students.
“I have completely given up when it comes to academics he has failed me on tests before. When I talked to him concerning it he told me I should know what to do I am an adult. I feel so dirty for even allowing such an old man touch me. But he doesn’t even care.
“He should be stopped before he ruins the lives of other innocent girls in that English department. When he touches me I am always in tears but it doesn’t stop him. Please this is why I am reaching out all I want is for him to be stopped. He is destroying the mental state of girls in Unilag.
“I reached out because I don’t want him to continue molesting girls. The English department is like a cult. The lecturers have information amongst themselves. They talk about the girls they have slept with and the ones they plan to sleep with. It has been going on for years.”
The post further added that there were more damning nude pictures of the said lecturer which could not be published at the time.
Meanwhile, a report by New Telegraph gave the name of the said lecturer as Olusegun Awonusi, a professor of English Studies at UNILAG and former Vice-Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State.
Awonusi was also a former Commissioner of Education in Ogun State.
When the paper reached out to Awonusi, he denied the allegation, describing it is a cheap blackmail, adding that his phone was stolen some time ago and that the pictures were taken over four years ago.
He also said that the female student accusing him of sexual harassment graduated about three years ago, and had threatened to release the photos if he did not pay her N400,000.
“It is blackmail,” Awonusi said. “The said pictures were taken about four years ago but sometimes ago, I received a message from a particular lady, saying she was in possession of my nude photos and that I should pay her N400,000.
“The lady said if I did not pay the money, she would go public with the photos. I think this is what she had promised.”
Attempts by The ICIR to get Awonusi’s reaction did not yield any result, as he refused to pick his calls. He later sent a text message which read, “Send text”. However, a text message sent to him by 12:44 pm is yet to be replied as at the time of filing this report.
Also, The ICIR contacted UNILAG’s Principal Assistant Registrar, communications Unit, Mrs Oloyede, but she, too, neither answered calls nor reply text messages sent to her mobile phone line.
Meanwhile, the management of UNILAG has issued a statement saying it was aware of the development and will get to the root of it.
“The attention of the University Management has been drawn to a news report trending on social media in respect of an alleged sexual harassment involving an alleged lecturer in the University of Lagos,” the statement read.
“The Management has a zero tolerance for allegations pertaining to sexual impropriety, and has a well-established policy against such practices.
“We wish to reassure all our stakeholders, students, parents, members of staff and the general public that Management will not treat this matter with levity.
“Management will tackle the allegation with every sense of responsibility and seriousness that the matter deserves. The issue would be thoroughly investigated with transparency.”
In April this year, Monica Osagie, a post-graduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, released an audio recording of one of her lecturers, Richard Akindele, demanding to have sex with her five times in order to award her good grades.
The recorded message went viral on the social media, resulting in the suspension of the accused lecturer as investigations into the allegation continue.