ICPC arraigns Nigerian university lecturer for sexual harassment

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a lecturer at the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) for sexual harassment.

The agency said in a statement Friday that the lecturer, Balogun Olaniran, was charged to court for demanding sexual and monetary gratification from a female student of the institution.

It added that Mr Olaniran who was at the time the Head of the institution’s Department of Religious Studies “demanded sexual benefit or the payment of N100,000” from the student with a promise to alter her academic grades in 2021.

Mr Olaniran was arraigned before Justice Osinuga, the presiding judge, at the Ijebu-Ode high court, Ogun State, on a “one-count charge for violating Section 8(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

More details

The ICPC noted that Mr Olaniran pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

The charge read in parts: “…..within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, corruptly demanded sexual benefit or payment of the sum of N100,000 for himself from … (name withheld), a female student, on account of a favour to be afterwards shown her in the discharge of his official duties as a lecturer and Head of Department of Religious Studies at the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, to wit, offering to alter her academic grades from fail to pass in courses with codes EDU 311 and EDU 312.”

READ ALSO: Sex-For-Marks Scandal: Sacked OAU lecturer loses appeal challenging conviction

The trial judge admitted the defendant to bail of N500,000 with a surety in like sum.

The judge said the surety must provide evidence of three years of tax clearance and evidence of means.

The case was adjourned to 11 May for the commencement of trial.

Sexual scandals on campuses

Mr Olaniran’s case is one of the many sex-for-mark scandals that have continued to rock the nation’s education sector.

In 2018, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, sacked a lecturer, Richard Akindele, for demanding sex from his student.

Mr Akindele was later found guilty and sentenced to 24 months in prison. He served his sentence in Ilesa prison.

Also in 2021, the management of OAU dismissed another lecturer, Adebayo Mosobalaje, who was said to have been found guilty of sexual demeanour against a female student.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) also dismissed Boniface Igbeneghu and Samuel Oladipo, who were involved in sex-for-marks scandal.

This decision was taken almost two years after the two lecturers were exposed in a 52-minute documentary by BBC Africa where a reporter, disguised as a 17-year-old admission seeker, exposed randy lecturers.