The National Association of Nigerian Students has called for justice over the alleged sexual exploitation of a female student by her Head of Department at a tertiary institution in Ondo State, describing the incident as a disturbing example of the abuse of power in higher institutions.
In a statement issued on Friday and titled, “Our Female Students Deserve Safety, Dignity, and Justice,” the President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde, alleged that the student was compelled into a sex-for-grades arrangement after repeatedly failing a compulsory course required for her graduation.
According to him, the student had only one outstanding course left before graduation and returned to the institution to retake the examination. After she was informed that she had failed the course again, she approached the lecturer in charge, who also served as the Head of Department, to seek an explanation.
Akinteye alleged that the lecturer told the student she could never pass the course unless she agreed to his sexual demands. He further claimed that the student later alleged she was pressured into performing a sexual act in the lecturer’s office in exchange for a passing grade.
He said the student believed she had no alternative if she wanted to graduate, but alleged that the lecturer later contacted her again, insisting she continue the sexual relationship before she could be cleared academically.
The NANS president said the student eventually reached out to him for help.
According to Akinteye, although he initially considered making the matter public, the student pleaded with him not to disclose the incident because she feared victimisation and only wanted to complete her graduation without further harassment.
He said he subsequently contacted the appropriate authorities in the institution and was informed within three hours that the student had been cleared to complete her academic process.
“While I am relieved that she was able to complete her academic process, I am deeply saddened that she was too afraid to publicly identify herself or the lecturer involved. This reflects the fear, intimidation and stigma that many female students face when confronted with sexual harassment,” Akinteye said.
He noted that the incident reflected a wider pattern of sexual exploitation in tertiary institutions, adding that many victims remained silent because of fear of retaliation, shame and intimidation.
“No student should ever be forced to exchange sexual favours for academic success. Our campuses must be places of learning, not environments where students are exploited by those entrusted with their education,” he added.
Akinteye urged female students experiencing sexual harassment or exploitation to report such cases to the National Director of Gender of NANS, assuring them that complaints would be handled professionally and confidentially.
He, however, did not disclose the name of the institution, the lecturer or the student involved.
Efforts to obtain a response from the management of the institution were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report because NANS did not identify the school where the alleged incident occurred.
