The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has accused the Head of Department of a university in Ondo State of allegedly coercing a female student into performing sexual acts in exchange for a passing grade required for her graduation.
The allegation was made on Friday by the National President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde, in a statement titled, “Our Female Students Deserve Safety, Dignity, and Justice.”
Babatunde, however, did not disclose the identity of the institution, the lecturer or the student involved.
According to him, the student had only one outstanding compulsory course preventing her from graduating with her colleagues and returned to the university to retake the examination.
He alleged that after she was informed she had failed the course again, she approached the lecturer, who also served as the Head of Department, to seek clarification.
Babatunde claimed the lecturer allegedly told the student she could never pass the course before later demanding sexual favours in exchange for awarding her a passing grade.
According to the NANS president, the student alleged that she felt trapped and believed she had no option but to comply if she wanted to complete her academic programme.
He further alleged that after the initial incident, the lecturer continued contacting the student about a week later, repeatedly inviting her to his residence and suggesting that the sexual relationship would have to continue before she could be cleared for graduation.
“Disturbed and afraid, she reached out to me for help,” Babatunde said.
The NANS president explained that although he initially intended to make the matter public, the student pleaded with him not to do so because she feared victimisation and only wanted to graduate without further harassment.
He said he subsequently contacted the appropriate authorities within the institution and was informed within three hours that the student had been cleared.
“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,” he said.
“This reflects the fear, intimidation and stigma that many female students face when confronted with sexual harassment.”
Babatunde described the alleged incident as part of a broader problem of sexual exploitation in tertiary institutions, noting that many similar cases go unreported because victims fear retaliation, embarrassment and further victimisation.
“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 said.
He urged students experiencing sexual harassment, intimidation or exploitation to report such incidents to the National Director of Gender of NANS, assuring them that complaints would be treated professionally, confidentially and with the seriousness they deserve.
“We are committed to handling such complaints professionally, confidentially, and with the seriousness they deserve. Together, we must build campuses where every student can pursue an education free from fear, harassment, and abuse,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of the institution had yet to respond to the allegations, while NANS did not disclose the identity of the university or the lecturer involved.
