NO INDIVIDUAL — regardless of age, rank, or position — should be above accountability. Wrongdoing must be met with caution, reprimand, or prosecution without exception.
Our greatest obstacle in building a just, responsive, and egalitarian society is that those who violate ethical norms often unite to shield one another. This culture of impunity undermines our collective pursuit of fairness and integrity.
Nigeria’s ivory towers are increasingly synonymous with sexual misconduct scandals. Two recent cases stand out.
When a police officer is accused of torture, extortion, or extrajudicial killing, his colleagues rally around him. When a senator faces allegation of sexual harassment, his fellow senators defend him. When a university lecturer — or even a vice-chancellor — is accused of sexually assaulting a female student or staff member, his peers close ranks to defend him.
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Tacitly, we have accepted that evil is permissible so long as the elites and those in power are the ones committing it.
Nothing devastates a society more than the egregious misconduct of its leaders, elders, and trusted guardians who betray the public’s trust. Their actions disillusion the youth and erode the very values they are meant to uphold. When authority figures embody hypocrisy, they breed cynicism and corrode societal trust.
Our universities have become breeding grounds for sexual exploitation, where female students — and even married staff — are preyed upon by those entrusted with their education. While some lecturers target female students, high-ranking officials harass married women. Those who reject sexual advances face academic retaliation: low grades, outright failure, or professional victimization.
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In recent years, Nigerian universities have been plagued by disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct, including:
- Obafemi Awolowo University (2018): A lecturer demanded sex in exchange for grades from a female student.
- University of Lagos (2019): A professor allegedly raped a 17-year-old admission seeker.
- University of Benin (2020): A lecturer was arrested for molesting a female student.
- Ahmadu Bello University (2019): A lecturer harassed and attempted to rape a female student.
- University of Ibadan (2018): A professor sexually harassed a postgraduate student.
Nigeria’s ivory towers are increasingly synonymous with sexual misconduct scandals. Two recent cases stand out.
We must confront this toxic culture and ensure universities are safe spaces for learning. Protecting students and staff from exploitation requires holding perpetrators accountable.
Professor Cyril Ndifon, former Dean of Law at the University of Calabar, faced accusations of sexually exploiting students.
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Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), was accused of victimizing Engineer Folashade Adebayo after she rejected his alleged sexual advances.
Though FUOYE’s Governing Council exonerated Professor Fasina, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Western Zone rejected the verdict.
According to Punch (April 10, 2025), SSANU’s National Vice President, Dr Abdussobur Salaam, criticized the council’s handling of the case, citing procedural flaws. Notably, the council failed to conduct a forensic evaluation of the audio evidence between Fasina and Adebayo.
Only by demanding integrity can we build a society rooted in justice and equality.
SSANU also questioned why the Vice Chancellor remained in office during the investigation, arguing that this compromised fairness.
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SSANU — comprising senior administrative and technical staff — represents individuals of sound judgment. Dismissing their concerns suggests a predetermined outcome. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. SSANU deemed the investigation shoddy, raising doubts about institutional integrity.
We must confront this toxic culture and ensure universities are safe spaces for learning. Protecting students and staff from exploitation requires holding perpetrators accountable.
Only by demanding integrity can we build a society rooted in justice and equality.
