A 400-level student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Miss Hannah Bababunmi, has accused one of her lecturers, Prof. Joseph Opefeyitimi, of sexually harassing her.

The student, who said her lecturer subjected her to physical and emotional torture, accused Opefeyitimi, a Professor of Yoruba Incantations and Stylistics at the African Language Department, of sexually molesting her during a visit to the lecturer’s office on March 18, 2022.

The female student made the accusation via a letter dated March 21, 2022 and addressed to the Department of Linguistics and African Languages, OAU, a copy of which was obtained by The Star on Wednesday.

The letter was titled, ‘Report of sexual assault and molestation against Professor Ayo Opefeyitimi’.

The student disclosed that the accused lecturer sent her a message on WhatsApp on Thursday, March 17, and requested to see her on the campus between the hours of 8 am and 2 pm on Friday, 18.

She stated that Prof. Opefeyitimi, who she respected so much, grabbed her from behind and asked her to be his lover after she got to his office.

She added that she was traumatised during the incident, noting that the lecturer is the lecturer-in-charge of one of the courses she currently takes.

Calling for justice, the student further expressed fear that Prof. Opefeyitimi might fail her or give her any grade that he pleases.

She narrated: “My name is XXX with matric no. XXX. I am writing to inform you about the unpleasant experience I had with one of my lecturers in the person of Prof. Opefeyitimi on Friday 18th of March, 2022.

“He sent me a WhatsApp message on Thursday 17th asking me to see him in his office the following day between 8a.m. and 2p.m. As a lecturer who I respected so much, I obliged and never questioned his order.

“I got to his office around 1:23p.m. He told me that he only wanted to ask about what was going on the campus since he wasn’t on campus the previous day.

“I was astounded to hear that but I told him to take the Road 7 route when ready to go home because road 1 was blocked.

“He asked me to sit down and he asked me the reason why the road was blocked then I told him that I didn’t really know and heard that it was all about the appointment of the new VC.

“He decided to leave the office immediately and he packed his things saying that I was God-sent to him because it was almost 2p.m. and he needed to pick up his son from the school.

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“He carried the bag and we were about to leave the office, I offered to help him with the bag but he declined and I headed to the door.

“He grabbed me from behind and held me so tight. At this point I was in shock, then he said and I quote “Mo fẹ́ kí èmi àti ẹ jọ wà papọ̀ ni [thrice] but problem tí mo ní tẹ́lẹ̀ ni boy XXX yẹn but mi ò rò pé ó yẹ kó jẹ́ problem mọ́.”

“At this point, he already dropped the big bag he was carrying and he held me with his other hand.

“He made me sit on his lap and was groping me, he then said again “Mi ò mọ bí a ṣe fẹ́ ṣe é tí o fi máa graduate pẹ̀lú 2:1 kí o lè padà wá ṣe Masters”.

“Then I told him that he should let me go and that I will come back to see him some other day just to free myself of him.

“He didn’t answer me when I said that but he stood up from the chair still forcefully holding me and dragged me to the couch in his office.

“By this time he already pulled down his trousers, brought out his erect penis.

“He grabbed my right hand, and used it to rub his sexual penis. It happened so quickly that I was petrified.

“He continued to rub his penis and I was so distressed by the entire situation that I lost count of time.”

The student added: “In order to appeal to him to release his hold on me, I then told him that I needed to leave his office immediately because I was already taking too long and someone was patiently waiting for me downstairs.

“But he replied me and said “Gbogbo time tí mo ní pẹ̀lú ẹ báyìí kò ju 5mins lọ, jọ̀wọ́ bá mi ṣe é mo kàn fẹ́ cum ni; I won’t touch you today please because I didn’t inform you before.”

“I begged him that I was not comfortable at all that he should please let me go, but he didn’t listen to me. He laid down on his couch and was using my hand to stroke his penis.

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“At some point he stood up, dragged me to his table, turned my back to him and was rubbing his manhood on me. At this point, all my pleas to him to please release me fell on deaf ears.

“He pinned me there against the table, rubbing his penis on my back, repeating over and over again, “O ṣe é, O ṣe é.”

“Taking advantage of my vulnerability because he is physically stronger than me, he sexually assaulted, molested, and violated me.

“He used both his physical strength and high office and power as a professor in the Department of African Languages and Literatures to sexually impose himself on me, despite my pleas to him that I did not want his violent actions and forced attack on me.

“For how long he was doing this to me, I could not tell because my heart was beating so fast out of fear, and I was drenched in sweat from a panic attack.

“When he finally freed me, he asked me if I would see him 8a.m. on Monday and I said “No.”

“He asked me why? Out of fear for my life and safety, I told him that it was because my place was far.

“I was trying hard to say whatever would make him release me. I had never been so terrified as I was that day in his office.

“He asked me where my place was and I told him that I live at Aba Iya Gani.

“He then offered to come and pick me but I declined, after which he asked me if I knew Olatoke Hotel at Opa.”

She continued: “I said I did not know the place and he said that was no problem; that anytime I’m free to come on Monday, nobody will disturb him and then he gave me a thousand naira for transportation.

“I collected the money because I believed he wouldn’t have allowed me to go if I didn’t collect it from him.

“When we finally left the office, he sent me a message on WhatsApp thanking me and he asked if I would be on campus by 10a.m. on Monday and I told him that I didn’t think so.

“Then he said, “Okay, hope you are not traveling?” And I didn’t reply him till now.

“The entire situation has left me feeling so traumatized.

“This is an obvious abuse of power in which my faith in someone who has been a teacher and mentor, someone that I look up to and had maximum respect for since the very day I entered this university, has been exploited.

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“Professor Opefeyitimi teaches a class that I currently take, and he has the power to fail me or give me any grade that he pleases. In addition, I took another class with him, and he has not yet released the grade for that class.

“My career depends on the grades he gives me. I believe his failure to fully penetrate me in his office frustrated him, and I was lucky that I wore tight trousers that he was unable to yank down.

“I remain grateful to God that I was not wearing a dress or a skirt that day, otherwise, he would have succeeded in penetrating me, while rubbing his penis on my buttocks.

“Sir, I am writing this message to call your attention to this defiling act and wrongful use of his professorial power and influence.

“I ask that justice be served and to ensure that he does not further harm me physically or in any other way: including removing from my grades; shaming me during classes and learning activities, because I did not cooperate during his molestation, assault and molestation that fateful day in his office, which will never be erased from my memory.

“I expect that Prof. Opefeyitimi is brought to justice. His action was so quick and immediate that I believe I am not his first victim.

“He seemed to have practiced this assault before because he seemed to know exactly what to say and what to do, as I looked stupefied before him, and he kept manipulating my body and using his genitalia as a weapon of assault,” the letter read.

Responding to the allegation, Prof. Opefeyitimi said he had promised to marry the student.

He noted that all that happened in his office was consensual, saying the student called for it.

The lecturer, however, said his lawyer should be allowed to witness the probe panel sittings.

The Star