Lagos State Police have arrested a University of Lagos (UNILAG) professor, Kadiri Babalola, for allegedly raping a 20-year-old student at the institution.
The victim accused Mr. Babalola, Associate Professor of Botany, of perpetrating the act on August 16, when he visited his office to resolve some issues regarding his results.
The teacher was arrested following a complaint filed with the gender unit of the Ikeja Police Command by a non-governmental organization, Inclusive Social Welfare and Empowerment Foundation (InclusiveSWEF), where the victim had reported the case.
State police public relations officer Benjamin Hundeyin told Newslodge on Thursday that the professor has been arrested for “sexual harassment” and will appear in court when an arraignment date is set.
A university staff member, who requested anonymity, expressed surprise at the allegation.
“We never expected it because Mr. Babalola is a hard-working and highly respected man. But we will wait for the judicial result”. said the source.
called to justice
Speaking to Newslodge, InclusiveSWEF’s founder and lead consultant, Pat Isiorho-Eleto, said that while the victim’s identity will be protected, her organization is closely following the case to obtain justice for her.
“We are trying to be careful because she is in university, we have to protect her from stigmatization and we are also concerned about her safety,” Ms. Isiorho-Eleto said.
“We are more concerned with getting justice for her.”
bullying on campus
One of the main challenges facing Nigerian tertiary institutions is the high incidence of sexual harassment complaints.
Newslodge recently reported how law school students, University of CalabarCross River State, organized a protest on campus against the dean of the college, Cyril Ndifon, whom they accused of sexual harassment.
The students carried banners reading: “Law students are not Bonanza, Professor Ndifon should stop grabbing us”, “The Law School is not a brothel”, “Ndifon must defend our sanity”, among other inscriptions.
The university authority subsequently suspended Mr. Ndifon on August 17. He had previously been suspended by the school authority in 2015 after he was accused of raping a 20-year-old law student in his office, a charge the professor challenged in court.
University confirms arrest
Reacting to the development, Adejoke Alaga-Ibrahim, a spokesperson for the institution, in a statement to Newslodge noted that the university was aware of an investigation involving a university employee.
Ms. Alaga-Ibrahim said that on August 28, the management of the university received a letter from the Nigerian police, inviting an employee of the university to be questioned.
“The employee was immediately informed of the development and advised to comply,” he said.
“While we do not yet know the full details of the incident that led to the employee’s arrest, we are fully aware that the investigation is ongoing and we are cooperating with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the matter is resolved in the interest of justice.”
Ms Alaga-Ibrahim reiterated the university’s commitment to ensure that “justice is done”.