OAU Sex-For-Marks Prof Akindele Bags An Exemplary 6 Year Jail Term
The Oasis Reporters
December 17, 2018
In order to stem the trend of sexual harassment in educational institutions,
Justice Maurine Onyetenu of an Osun State Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, on Monday, sentenced former Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) lecturer, Prof. Richard Iyiola Akindele, to 6 years imprisonment for demanding sex to pass his student, Monica Osagie.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual harassment preferred against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission, ICPC.
He had since then been remanded in prison custody following objection to his bail by the prosecution ICPC.
When the case came up on Monday, Akindele opted to change his earlier plea and admitted guilt of the offences as charged.
He was arraigned before Justice onyetenu on November 19 for alleged sexual harassment.
Meanwhile, efforts by counsels to suspend the sentencing and negotiate for plea bargain failed, as Justice Onyetenu frowned at the rampant cases of students harassment by lecturers.
Justice Onyetenu who spoke with emotion, said “the plea bargain is not absolute. The court still has discretion.
“This kind of issue is too rampant in our tertiary institutions. We send children to school, they come home telling us that lecturers want to sleep with them.
We can not continue like this. Somebody has to be used as example. Even primary schools pupils are complaining. Telling me to suspend sentence does not arise. Plea bargain does not arise. May be the case continues to occur and reoccur because someone has not been used as example.
“It is time for the court to start upholding the right of the children, especially female students. The case is endemic.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr. Francis Omotosho, informed the court that the defendant has lost his job and has learnt his lesson.
He also told the court that the University has discovered the mistake in the marking of the examination paper of the victim and has concluded plans to compensate her.
The Counsel further told the court that plans are ongoing to make offices of the lecturers open by building the front side with glasses at OAU.
But the Judge, who apparently not convinced with the prayer of the Counsel, said “do you think they do it in the office? They go to hotels”.
Counsel to the ICPC, Mr. Shogunle Adenekan, urged the court to confiscate the mobile phone of the defendant and be forfeited to the federal government, saying that sensitive materials were discovered there during forensic examination.
He also urged the court to grant order, releasing the mobile phone of the victim, Monica.
After considering the plea bargaining entered and signed by the Counsels, the Judge said there is need to deter other people because of the nature of the case.
In her judgement, Justice Onyetenu sentenced the convict to 24 months on count one, 24 months on count two, 1 year on count three and 1 year on count four.
She said the jail term should run concurrently.
She also ordered that the Samsung X4 of the victim should be returned to her and the Samsung X8 of the defendant should be forfeited to the federal government.
In practical terms, Professor Akindele could be out of jail in about 16 months, if the assumed rule of 8 months constituting one prison year is upheld. Besides, since all the terms would run concurrently, the highest sentence is two years, which translates to 16 months. Until details of the sentence are fully out in the public domain, it is not yet certain if the months spent in prison custody would be deducted out of the 16 months.
Additional reporting: City Mirror News
