THE management of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, on Wednesday explained why it suspended one of its lecturers, Monday Omoetan and handed him over to the police after it was alleged that he sexually molested a female student of the institution.
Omo -Etan’s suspension was announced in a press release published on different news platforms across the country on Tuesday by the school authorities where it was stated the lecturer was handed over to the police to carry out further investigations.
At the time he committed the alleged crime he was a lecturer in the University’s Centre for Distance Learning, CDL, programme where he molested a female student [name witheld]of the department.
Speaking to The ICIR in a phone conversation, Abiodun Olarewaju, Public Relations Officer of the University confirmed that the suspension of Omoetan was in line with the institution’s zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment of students.
“It’s no longer news that the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife does not condone any form of sexual harassment by lecturers and students alike. The school management investigated the matter and took drastic actions by suspending Omo – Etan and handing him over to the police which was what happened,” he said.
The ICIR asked him why the same measure was not meted out to another lecturer of the same University, Olabisi Olaleye, who demanded sex from a final year student of the department of International Relations.
Olaleye, was suspended by the school pending a full-scale investigation into the allegation against him but he was not handed over to the police and was placed on half – salary for the period of his suspension.
“The case of Omoetan is different from Olaleye because the student he assaulted sexually was a minor so we had to take him to the police after we concluded our investigation,” he said.
Omoetan, a 2014 first-class chemistry graduate of the University, was employed by the school to teach Chemistry at the CDL.
According to a report, he blackmailed the unnamed CDL female student to perform sexual acts on him by threatening to expose her to the school authorities after she mistakenly sent her nude to her class WhatsApp page.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.