SEX FOR "GRADES" IN NIGERIA UNIVERSITIES

•Male students also exploited sexually
•Female students harass us too- lecturer
By Evelyn Usman


Recently, a recorded audio conversation between a senior lecturer in the department of Accounting, at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Professor Richard Akindele, negotiating sex for marks with one Monica Osetoba Osagie, a Masters in Business Administration student, went viral on the traditional and social media.

In the conversation, Professor Akindele was heard demanding to have sex with Monica five times before he would upgrade her score from 33% to a percentage of her choice. It was also obvious that Monica, was not the only student who was embroiled in the lecturer’s sex for marks web.
Also, it could be observed that the duo were familiar with each other judging by the platonic tone used during the conversation.

Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH)
As starling as the discovery may be, the act is not new in tertiary institutions across the country, as some students, particularly female ones, consider the option as the only alternative to securing good grades to enhance their Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA, while others could be victims of predators who hide under the cover of lecturers.

Management of most universities across the country are no doubt unaware of such practices within the academic community. But they either tend to look the other way, waiting until the name of the institution is dragged in the mud like the OAU’s case before they take action, or wait for drastic actions to be taken by concerned students before addressing the issue. This is evident in most cases of sex for marks that had so far been exposed .

On the other hand, investigation carried out by Saturday Vanguard showed that students who could not sleep with lecturers to upgrade their marks when they failed a course had to settle it with cash. For instance, findings revealed that students pay between N3000 and N10,000 for a failed course , depending on whether it is a major or elective course.


But some lecturers still insist on sleeping with students rather than collecting money, which they regard as stipends. Meeting points for such shameful act are usually in brothels outside the institutions, either in the day time or at night.


The question on the lips of several Nigerians begging for answer, is why do some unscrupulous lecturers who ought to be part of a student’s character and career builder, bring themselves to ridicule by demanding and receiving sexual or any form of gratification to award marks to undeserving students, while serious students who burn their midnight candles are given lower grades?

Port Harcourt
From one end of the six geopolitical zones to another, the story is the same in virtually all the citadel of learning: be it universities, Polytechnics or Colleges of education.


For instance, two years ago, a university professor at the University of Port Harcourt, River state, was reportedly caught red-handed having sex with a student in one of the classrooms at night, unknown to him that he was being recorded on video. The act took place on a desk inside the classroom, all in a bid to increase the student’s marks.


ABU Zaria
Same year, a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, was apprehended at a private female hostel in Samaru, Zaria. In this case, the lecturer was discovered to have sneaked into the hostel, disguised as a woman, with hijab. However, findings showed that he was having an affair with one of the female students, with an alleged intention to top her grade as well as intervene and prevail on other lecturers to give her good grades.


Osun State University
Also, at the Osun State University, Oshogbo, a randy senior lecturer, in the Department of Languages and Linguistics, Dr. Olabode Ajoniyi was caught on video having sex in a hotel room with one of his female students identified as Mercy Ikwue.

Report had it that the lecturer had been mounting pressure on the student for sex until she agreed to meet him at the hotel. She took a laptop with which she recorded the sexual act and thereafter, released the video to her friends who posted it on social media.


The released video clip which however did not reveal the real sexual intercourse, was discovered to be a trap, as revealed in a petition by some students to some media houses. The students in the petition accused the lecturer of being responsible for the then 300 level student’s suspension from school over allegation of examination malpractices.


Upon her return they claimed that the lecturer mounted pressure on her and that with the advice of some of her friends, she took a laptop to the hotel pretending to be watching ‘Things fall Apart’ film on it, unknown to the lecturer that things were about to fall apart for him.

Consequently, the university’s Governing Council headed by Mallam Yusuf Ali, upon deliberating on the matter, terminated the lecturer’s appointment, in accordance with the university’s Code of Conduct of Staff.


University of Calabar
Again, at the University of Calabar, two years ago, a senior lecturer, was accused of harassing a 16-year-old female Diploma student. In this case, report had it that the Head of Department in the Faculty of Law in the university, Dr. Eni Alobo, took to his Facebook wall threatening to publicly name the randy lecturer if he did not stop disturbing the girl whom he said was old enough to be his colleague’s granddaughter. Dr Alobo, in the post, said that the randy lecturer who was in his 50s had a daughter that was older than the girl in question. The lecturer, as gathered, was asked to supervise the teenager’s project so she could graduate with her mates but that he refused, insisting rather, that he must have sex with her before he would handle her project. Earlier entreaties by lecturers on behalf of the victim fell on deaf ears, until the post went viral.


University of Lagos
Investigations have also revealed that predators who hide under the cover of lecturers also hunt for female students seeking admissions into universities. An incident that readily comes to mind occurred at the University of Lagos some time ago, where a lecturer, Afeez Baruwa, was alleged to have raped a female seeking admission into the institution. The 18-year-old victim as gathered, was handed to the lecturer by her father who was his friend, to help her secure admission.

But he was alleged to have raped the girl in one of the study halls of the university when she went to write her post -UTME examinations.

Forty-two year-old Baruwa was arraigned before an Ikeja High Court on a one-count charge of rape, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge and the Magistrate, Mrs. O. Awope, admitted him to bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum, with a directive that he should be remanded at the Kirikiri prison until his bail terms were perfected. Although Baruwa insisted during the trial that he had the consent of the teenager before he had sex with her, the court however sentenced him to 21 years in prison in 2015.

While serving his jail term, another female student in the university claimed in a letter she wrote to the school authority, that Dr Baruwa , also tried to rape her while supervising her project. She alleged that he tore her dress and threatened that she would never graduate from the school if she refused his sexual overtures. But UNILAG had denied knowing the lecturer then.


Ambrose Alli University
Also, a seven minutes recorded video of sexual harassment conversation between an Engineering lecturer at the Ambrose Alli University , Ekpoma and some female students went viral in April 2012, consequent upon which the lecturer was dismissed.

However this is one case that was proved to be false by the court. In April 22, 2018 a magistrate’s Court sitting in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State convicted the two female students; Judith Ivie Okosun and Juliet Obehi Okosun, and were sentenced two years and a year imprisonment respectively over what it described as unlawful detention and indecent assault on a university don, in connection with the sexual harassment scandal.


Lagos State University
Similarly in 2005, the Lagos State University, Ojo, sacked a lecturer, who was also caught in his underpants in a hotel room in Lagos, on the verge of having sex with a 200-level undergraduate. The list is endless.
Secondary school students too


Findings by Saturday Vanguard showed that sexual harassment also occur in secondary schools in Nigeria, especially in public schools. Some students who fall prey to these predators as gathered, are either beautiful or intellectually poor. Male teacher on the other hand understand the desperation for mere certificates and exploit these ill-prepared and sometimes brilliant students.