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Tag: Sexual Harassment

  • Foreign Affairs minister, Tuggar reports perm sec over sexual harassment

    Foreign Affairs minister, Tuggar reports perm sec over sexual harassment

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has formally lodged a complaint with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation regarding allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa.

    According to PUNCH, in a letter addressed to the HOCSF dated May 27, 2024, and sighted on Tuesday, Tuggar expressed his concern over the serious nature of the allegation levelled against the permanent secretary by Mrs Simisola Ajayi.

    He emphasised the importance of addressing the matter urgently and thoroughly.

    The letter was titled, “Re: Official Complaint Regarding Sexual Harassment Of Mrs Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi By Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa (Permanent Secretary Ministry Of Foreign Affairs).”

    It read, “I am compelled to write to inform you of a formal complaint against the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa, on allegations of sexual harassment.

    “Bearing in mind the gravity of the matter, I feel it necessary to draw your attention to it and ask that you handle it accordingly,”

    The letter included an attachment of the complaint received via email, and Tuggar assured the HOCSF his full cooperation in the investigation.

    “May I also assure you that I remain available to provide you with any assistance required in discharging your responsibilities,” he added.

    The spokesperson for the Ministry, Amb. Eche Abu-Ode, confirmed the development in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.

    “Yes. The complaint is true,” Abu-Ode said when asked to confirm the authenticity of the letter.

    When contacted on the phone for his reaction, Lawuwa declined comment.

    “I am in a meeting. Sorry, I cannot talk, please,” he simply said after our correspondent introduced herself and issue she wanted him to react to.

    He has also yet to respond to a message sent to his WhatsApp on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

    Also, when contacted, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the
    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir, simply said, “No comment. The matter is being looked into by the relevant authorities.”

    Ajayi, had a petition dated May 29, 2024, addressed to Tuggar, accused the permanent secretary of serial sexual harrasment.

    Ajayi, through her lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), called for a thorough investigation into the actions of Amb. Lamuwa.

    The petition, signed by Adebayo A. Oniyelu LP of Falana & Falana’s, was titled “Request For An Investigation Of Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s Conducts Of Sexual Harassment At The Place Of Work, Abuse Of Office, Official Intimidation And Discrimination.”

    According to the petition, Ajayi narrated multiple instances of harassment allegedly by Lamuwa, which have created an unsafe and uncomfortable working environment.

    She claimed for instance that during a policy retreat on October 7, 2023, Lamuwa allegedly made inappropriate advances towards her, suggesting she joined him in his hotel room.

    He reportedly continued with inappropriate remarks throughout the retreat.

    She also cited an incident on November 10, 2023, where Lamuwa allegedly invited Ajayi to travel to Hong Kong, promising significant personal benefits from the trip.

     

  • Sexual harassment is corruption, attracts 7-year-imprisonment, ICPC warns

    Sexual harassment is corruption, attracts 7-year-imprisonment, ICPC warns

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says sexual harassment is a corrupt practice that attracts imprisonment term not less than seven years.

    The Secretary to the commission, Mr Clifford Oparaodu, gave the warning in Abuja at a One Day Sensitization Workshop on Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institutions.

    Oparaodu said that ICPC regarded sexual harassment as a corrupt practice; hence there was a need for victims to know their rights and how to seek justice.

    He expressed concern that sexual gratification had become a form of “illegal tender” in many institutions.

    “Sexual harassment is a form of corruption.

    “It is a deviation from the norm for an official to use his/her office or position to demand, receive, obtain or attempt to obtain any form of sexual gratification for him to perform his duties.

    “Ideally, official duties ought to be carried out with integrity, good conscience, and diligence without the expectation of any unlawful benefit,” he said

    According to him, Section 2 (f) of the ICPC Act states that gratification includes any service or favour of any description …” Section 8 of the ICPC Act says:

    “Any person who corruptly asks for, receives or obtains any property or benefit of any kind for himself or any other person; is guilty of an offence of Official corruption and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.

    “It is pertinent to note that unlawful benefits are not always pecuniary and it is disheartening that sexual gratification has become a form of “illegal tender” in many institutions.

    “Staff members have been found to use their office to demand and receive sexual benefits from other staff and students in exchange for good grades or other favours,” he said.

    Oparaodu said that it was unfortunate that due to the fear of stigmatisation or further victimisation, many targets of such demands find themselves forced to succumb.

    “This is in order to avoid dire consequences and denial of benefits to which they may ordinarily even be entitled.

    “The culture of silence has allowed sexual harassment thrives but ICPC is working relentlessly to ensure that with sensitization and appropriate policy implementation, this culture would gradually change,” he said.

    He said that ICPC is determined to put a stop to this, initiated the Sexual Harassment Unit with a focus on prevention of sexual harassment in tertiary and secondary institutions.

    Oparaodu said that this was to address the issue of sexual gratification and abuse of office and power by officials.

    He explained that the purpose of the workshop was to educate students about how to easily contact the ICPC, report incidents of sexual harassment, and gather evidence in a way that will support the commission’s investigations.

    In a paper he presented on “Sexual harassment, an offence against the individual/a crime against society, the

    The Deputy Director, Proceed of Crime Department, ICPC, Mr Adenekan Shogunle, in a paper presented, urged participants to regard the fight as a collective one.

    Shogunle said that youths should not accept sexual harassment, saying that the menace needed to be stopped to ensure the safety of educational institutions for learning.

    “What is essentially a social disorder has become normal in many tertiary institutions.

    “Absence of effective grievance remedial mechanisms and prevalent culture of silence, social tolerance has left many female students at the mercy of rabid predators.

    “In a bid for justice, survivors are taking matters into their own hands; naming perpetrators and sharing experiences on social media,’’ he said.

    The Assistant Director, Legal Unit, in ICPC, Mrs Peace Aroch, in a paper,   said sexual harassment had psychological implications, which had to do with the mental or emotional state of the survivor.

    Aroch said people sexually-harassed commonly experienced stress, anxiety, depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

    She said that sexual harassment was still being under-reported in spite of its social media posts.

    The director said that sexual harassment was still being under-reported because of issues of trust, security, fear and poor financial standing of survivors.

    Aroch called on the private and public sectors to establish their workplaces sexual harassment policies.

    She said that they could make recourse to ICPC’s sexual harassment policy to prepare their own.

    Policy Lead Gender, Mobile Initiative, Sarah Egbo, in a paper urged institution leaders to demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing sexual harassment

    Egbo also called for involvement of the entire institution in policy development and implementation; ensure transparency in reporting, investigation and decision making.

    She encouraged collaboration with local organisation, law enforcement and other stakeholders for a coordinated response.

  • ICPC set to arraign suspended UNICAL Professor

    ICPC set to arraign suspended UNICAL Professor

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it is set to arraign Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), at a Federal High Court, in Cross River.

    The ICPC’s Spokesperson, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, in a statement said the commission had filed a criminal charge against Ndifon, following the conclusion of investigation into the professor’s alleged gross misconducts against some of his students.

    The commission said a four-count charge bordering on sexual harassment, official corruption and abuse of office contrary to Sections 8, 18 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, had been preferred against the senior lecturer.

    In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/2023, one of the counts reads: “That you, Professor CYRIL OSIM NDIFON (m) between June-September, 2023 at Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court.

    “And, while being a public officer charged with responsibility for the certification of students as fit in learning and character as a prerequisite for the award of Bachelor’s degree in law and admission into the Nigeria Law School.

    “Used your office and position as the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar to gratify yourself.

    “By soliciting for nude photographs and videos from one Ms. ABC (not real name), a year 2 diploma student of the University of Calabar, through WhatsApp chats on your telephone number 0803***.

    “And, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

    It said Ndifon would be arraigned in court on a date to be given by the court.

    It would be recalled that ICPC, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), had, on Oct. 4, arrested Ndifon in Calabar, Cross River, after shunning several invitations extended to him.

  • Alleged sexual harassment: We’re not distracted by noise makers – UNICAL

    Alleged sexual harassment: We’re not distracted by noise makers – UNICAL

    The Management of the University of Calabar ( UNICAL) has assured the general public that the institution would not allow any distraction by noise makers and what was described as ‘alternative truths’ over the alleged sexual harassment and high handedness against Prof. Cyril Ndifon by Law Students.

    The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi stated this on Friday in her office at the University on ( Friday, September, 15, 2023) while reacting to the alleged leaked viral audio of the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy on a telephone conversation with one of the female law students that testified against the former Dean, Prof. Ndifon.

    In the leaked viral audio, the Minister was alleged to be questioning one of the girls on their claims of sexual harassment by the former Dean.

    Describing it as intimidation and jail threats coming from the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the few girls that were bold enough to testify to the panel on an alleged age-long sexual harassment and other violations , the VC reiterated that they were not prompted by anyone as being insinuated.

    She stated, ” you are all aware of the wind that has been blowing in our revered faculty of Law as a result of allegations of sexual improprieties and managerial turbulence that are threatening the integrity of legal training in the University.

    “While management has tried to deal with the issues within the procedural laws of administrative resolution, a completely new dimension has unfortunately reared its head in way that has left us noplussed with the leaked viral audio of intimidation and jail threats from the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy, on the few girls who were bold enough to come out to testify on an alleged age-long sexual harassment of female law students against Prof. Cyril Ndifon.

    ” Why I do not consider it expedient to respond to the disturbing things said by the Minister in the said audio, I wish to generally state that , the students of the faculty of Law, on their own, wrote and submitted a petition and protested against the suspended Dean. And, as I know, those who have testified before the panel on both sexual harassment and other violations were not prompted by anyone.

    ” Let me use the opportunity and assure the general public that we are not going to be distracted by any noise, accusations and ‘alternative truths’ some have chosen to engage in.
    “In the end, the success recorded so far and the ones ahead, God willing, shall overwhelm this noise. ” Prof. Obi prayed.

    She said to demonstrate the management’s interest in ensuring an injective, unbiased investigation, they have accepted the request from some agencies and groups to serve as observers in the panel of investigation.
    She added, ” As a reminder, I wish to restate the fact that this administration has nothing personal against Prof. Cyril Ndifon other than her commitment to seeing that the University achieves her vision, mission and philosophy.”

    While appreciating the Honorable Minister for the enormity of the office she occupied, she said,” But my responsibility as Vice-Chancellor and those of other well-meaning Nigerians, no matter their office or position in life are no less important in the building of a greater Nigeria. Indeed, we are all partners in building our nation and serving humanity.” The VC stated.

  • Report cases of sexual harassment- UNICAL VC

    Report cases of sexual harassment- UNICAL VC

    Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, has called on fresh students of the institution to report all cases of sexual harassment from lecturers and staff to the university authority.

    Obi made the call on Friday in Calabar during an orientation programme organised for newly admitted year-one students of the institution.

    She said that her administration has zero tolerance for gender based violence and sexual harassment of female students.

    She informed the students that her administration had to create the Gender Development Center and a counseling unit to handle such cases.

    While encouraging the female students to be bold enough to report such cases, she also cautioned them against indecent dressing and disrespect for the lecturers and staff of the institution.

    “My dear students, especially the female ones, I want to charge you to be bold enough to report all forms of sexual harassment that may come from lecturers and staff of this institution.

    “Don’t allow anyone to intimidate you on sex for grades. We have set up a strong mechanism to protect students performance; no lecturer can fail a good student.

    “For the men, avoid bad gangs that may lead you into cultism; be focused with your studies at all times because this first semester is very short in view of the time lost by the ASUU strike.

    “For you to be a complete student of this institution, you must pay your fees and register your courses online. Don’t pay your fees or other registrations to anybody, all payment should be made through the bank,” she said.

    The VC also charged the students to be security conscious at all times, urging them to shun volatile areas, including the waterfront of the institution at odd hours.

    Earlier, Dean of Students Affairs, Anthony Eyang, an Associate Professor, urged the students to take their studies seriously, adding that their academic performance from year one determines the grade they will graduate with.

    He advised the students to shun most social activities that may be capable of distracting them from their academic activities.

  • Security guard gets life imprisonment for defiling teen

    Security guard gets life imprisonment for defiling teen

    Justice Abiola Soladoye of an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Monday sentenced a 23-year-old security guard, Blessing Okon to life imprisonment for defiling a 14-year-old student.

    Newsmen reports that convicting Okon, Soladoye said the prosecution had succeeded in proving the essential ingredients of defilement beyond reasonable doubt.

    Describing Okon as shameless, the judge noted that the victim was consistent in her oral testimony before the court which established that the defendant had been having sexual contact with her since she was nine-years-old.

    “This defendant is lacking in compassion he had sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl. There was overwhelming evidence against him as presented by the prosecution. He therefore should pay for his sexual crime.

    “The defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment without an option of fine.

    “He is to have his name registered in the Sexual Offenders Register as maintained by the Lagos State Government,” she said.

    Soladoye in the judgment commended the chaplain of the survivor’s school to whom the revealed that she was defiled by the guard. The chaplain alerted her father about the crime.

    “The chaplain of the school in question had a listening ear thereby allowing the victim to share her thoughts, worries, anxieties and frustration which eventually led to the reporting of this case to the authorities.

    “I salute the chaplain’s courage and candour for not sweeping this case under the carpet.

    “I wish him all the best and I do hope sincerely that others in positions of power will be able to speak up in issues of sexual abuse and report them to the authorities,” Soladoye said.

    Newsmen reports that according to the state prosecutors, Mr Olusola Soneye and Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, Okon committed the offence on Sept. 13, 2019, at Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    He was 20 years old when he committed the offence.

    The prosecution presented three witnesses; the survivor, her father and a medical doctor while Okon testified solely in his defence.

    The survivor in her testimony said that the defendant had sexually assaulted her when she was nine years old by touching her breasts on two occasions.

    She said he defiled her when she was 14.

    The offence, she said, contravenes the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.

  • Fed Poly Bauchi sacks 2 lecturers for alleged sexual harassment

    Fed Poly Bauchi sacks 2 lecturers for alleged sexual harassment

    The Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi has approved the dismissal of two lecturers, Malam Abubakar Baba and Mr Adebusoye Sunday over allegations of sexual harassment levelled against them.

    The Rector, Mr Sunusi Gumau, announced their dismissal while briefing newsmen at the end of the 98th meeting of the council, on Sunday in Bauchi.

    Gumau said that the decision was reached after thorough investigation of the matter by a committee set up by the institution.

    He said that Baba was a lecturer in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics while Mr Sunday was a lecturer of the Department of General Studies.

    “This is the final verdict of all that has been making waves in the media concerning the issue of our staff reported on alleged case of rape.

    “This issue of Abubakar Baba came up on the Aug. 4, 2021. In the rules of the Polytechnic, if an issue of this magnitude happens, the complainant has to write and immediately she wrote.

    “I asked the staff to be queried.

    “When we queried him, the suspect replied and the reply was not satisfactory, and we established a committee to investigate the matter thoroughly to logical conclusion.

    “We did that and after the committee submitted its report, the Senior Staff Appointment and Disciplinary Committee met, invited the suspects, cross examined and we made our recommendation to the council.

    “Today; the council has finally approved the dismissal of Abubakar Baba from the services of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi,” said the Rector.

    Sanusi further revealed that Mr Sunday was equally dismissed from the service of the Polytechnic with immediate effect.

    The Rector said that concrete evidence had been established against Sunday for sexually assaulting his student.

    He further said that the victims had military background which propelled the exposure of the culprits.

    Gumau said the two lecturers were no longer staff of the Polytechnic and assured that their dismissal letter would be handed over to the necessary security agencies for appropriate actions.

    “In the case of Baba, the father of the student involved is a military personnel while in the case of Sunday, the victim is a sister to a military woman.”

    The Rector commended the Bauchi State Government, traditional leaders and host communities for their support to the institution.

    Meanwhile, the Rector revealed that the Students’ Academic Board of the institution had also expelled 30 students for various offences.

    Gumau said that 14 of the students were expelled for examination malpractices while 16 others for certificate forgery.

  • Air Force officer indicted for sexual harassment of female colleague

    Defence Ministry in South Korea says it has arraigned an Air Force noncommissioned officer who was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague, which made her to commit suicide have been arraigned.

    The defence ministry disclosed this in a statement issued in Seoul on Monday.

    The statement said the master sergeant, surnamed Jang, was suspected of sexually abusing the victim of the same rank inside a car on their way back to their base after a drinking session in March.

    However, in June 2021, she was found dead in an apparent suicide after complaining of the Air Force’s mishandling of the case.

    Amid intense public fury, the case was referred to the defense ministry, and Jang was detained in June.

    “The defense ministry prosecution indicted Jang on charges of sexual harassment and inflicting injury, as well as violating the Additional Punishment Law on Specific Crimes.

    “The alleged violation of the additional punishment law was applied as the suspect threatened the victim with retaliation if she did not forgive him.’’

    The ministry said the military prosecutors raided the public affairs office of the Air Force headquarters as part of an extensive probe without specifying details.

    The military came under criticism following revelations by the victim’s family that the victim’s superiors, tried to persuade her to reach a settlement with the suspect without taking due protective measures in a suspected attempt to cover up the case.

    According to the statement, so far, three Air Force noncommissioned officers, including Jang, have been detained, and dozens are under probe.

  • UNILAG sacks lecturers caught harassing students on live camera almost two years after BBC report

    UNILAG sacks lecturers caught harassing students on live camera almost two years after BBC report

    The Management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has approved the dismissal of two of its lecturers, over what it described as ‘poor moral conduct’.
    The lecturers were Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu of the Department of European Languages and Integration Studies, Faculty of Arts, who was caught by an undercover reporter of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in October 2019.
    The other lecturer was Dr Samuel Omoniyi Oladipo of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences.
    This is contained in a statement by the institution’s Principal Assistant Registrar, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Nonye Oguama and issued to newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos.
    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the institution had in 2019, suspended Igbeneghu who was caught on film propositioning and sexually harassing an undercover BBC reporter.
    Igbeneghu, also a pastor, was equally condemned by his church.

    He was one of several academics in some tertiary institutions in Africa secretly filmed, as part of a long investigation by the BBC Africa Eye.

    ”The Governing Council of the university of Lagos, at its meeting on Monday, May 31, approved the immediate dismissal of Dr Igbeneghu.

    ”It also approved the dismissal of Dr Samuel Omoniyi Oladipo of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, from the services of the institution.

    ”It considered the report and findings of the Senate Committee set up to investigate allegations of sexual harassment levelled against them, in a BBC World Service Investigative Series titled AFRICA EYE (which centred on sexual harassment in tertiary institutions).

    ”The council consequently decided and approved that both Dr. Igbeneghu and Dr. Oladipo be dismissed from the services of the university for misconduct, with effect from Monday, May 31, in line with section 18 of the University of Lagos Act 1967,” it said.

    The statement further said that council had also directed that the management should review the sexual harassment policy, as may be neccesary and institute effective strategies to prevent future occurrence.

    Speaking on the development, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe said that the university would not cover up any indecent behaviour.

    He said that management would not hesitate to follow and apply the law.

    The vice chancellor pledged management’s commitment to protect all the students, as well as provide a level playing field for them to exercise their right.

  • Men are also victims of sexual harassment – US envoy

    Men are also victims of sexual harassment – US envoy

    The First Secretary of the United States of America Embassy in Nigeria, Madison Conoley, has said the male gender should also be considered as victims of sexual harassment while finding a solution to the scourge.

    He stated this on Tuesday at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, during an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the 16th annual conference and celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright programme.

    The envoy said, “We very much support the association’s (Fulbright Alumni Association of Nigeria) efforts to address the issues in a transparent way.

    “We know from empirical studies that men are not only aggressors, they are also victims of sexual harassment. If we want to solve this problem, we need the full conversation from all segments of society and all genders.”

    The Vice Chancellor of Bowen University, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, said many rape cases were unconnected with substance abuse.

    He noted that sexual harassment and substance abuse needed to be tackled squarely, adding that this would help the larger society.

    The Deputy Commissioner (Legal), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Mr Adenekan Shogunle, identified concentration of power, especially in the hands of few individuals, as one of the factors responsible for cases of sexual harassment.