Ishaq Yusuf, a lecturer at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) in Lapai, Niger state, says he was framed – after he was found unclad in a female student’s room at night. The lecturer of English language and communication studies claims he was abducted by Chidimma Mercy Samuel, a 400 level student of the department, who is accusing him of requesting sexual gratification from her.
Chidinma claims that Yusuf was caught in her room by a group of boys just before the act and he managed to run away.
“The lecturer has been disturbing me since I was in 100 level. He would tell me how much he likes me and would come to meet me where I was reading to disturb me. I declined to date him. I told him I was not interested in anything he was saying. Then, he failed me in his course, which I took in second semester of 100 level,” she told The Nation.
“I didn’t protest the result, because I did not want to meet him for any help. I knew I would do better the next time. I was able to pass the carry-over course when the department brought another lecturer to take the course. It got worse when I was in 300-Level. He purposely failed me in two of his courses I took, because I turned down his advances towards me.”
Chidimma claimed to have complained to Ebenezer Ogungbe, former head of the department.
“I told Dr Ogungbe about the conversation the lecturer had been having with me. The former HOD said I should tell him (Yusuf) to see him. When I told him Dr Ogungbe requested to see him, he didn’t reply me. He only said goodnight.”
On February 20, Chidmma said Yusuf chatted with her around 11pm, complaining about her reluctance to see him. He then demanded to see her that night, but the student said she declined because it was late.
“The following day, he sent me messages and said he would see me later. In the evening of the day, he sent me another message, asking where I was. I told him I was in my hostel. He said he could not imagine ‘how it was going to be’. I was confused. I asked him what he meant by that statement.
He said he wanted to see me that evening and he did not want the meeting point to be at his office, so that people would not see us together. I told him to come to my hostel, because my fiancé was around. He said he would come to my hostel at 10pm. I called Dr. Ogungbe again to inform him about the development.
My fiancé was already angry and had started suspecting my relationship with the lecturer. He felt I was the one chasing the lecturer about for marks. I explained everything to him and he said he would like to know why the lecturer wanted to see me. I told the lecturer to come to my hostel if he really wanted to see me, but he did not show up.”
She also said that he called her the next day to say he would be at her hostel in the evening.
“I quickly informed my fiancé, who called his friends to come around my hostel to confirm things for him. My fiancé thought the lecturer wanted to kill me after sleeping with me. When the lecturer called me to say he was on his way to my hostel, I alerted my fiancé’s friends who positioned themselves around my apartment.
Immediately he got into my room at 10pm, he checked around to be sure there was nobody with me. He checked my bathroom and kitchen. He didn’t know that people were beside the windows outside, listening to our conversation.
I asked him what he wanted from me. He sat close to me on the bed and extended his arm around my shoulder. He asked if I knew the reason I had been failing his courses. I told him I did not know. He said it was because I had refused to ‘comply’ and ‘play along’.
He said that was the reason he needed to come to my hostel and ‘rub minds together’ with me. He said he would ensure that I passed his courses after sleeping with me. He told me that without sleeping with him, I won’t pass the courses and I won’t graduate from the school.
I pretended to be playing along. I asked him to pull off his boxers too. He obliged. That was when I called for help and my fiancé’s friends barged in and saw the lecturer unclad. They started filming him and taking his photographs as he was unclad.”
The Nation reports that Yusuf begged the boys not to expose him and promised to pass Chidimma in all his courses. Chidinma said Yusuf was made to write an undertaking that he would not disturb her again before he was allowed to go. As he left in a hurry, Yusuf was said to have forgotten his underwear, ATM card and mobile phones.
The next day, Yusuf reported the case to the management. He alleged that Chidimma sent a group of cultists to abduct him and dispossess him of his valuables at gunpoint.
“I was forced to remove my clothes. I received calls from the girl in the evening. She asked me to see her. She said a boy whose test paper I tore earlier in the day during a test wanted me to help talk to the lecturer taking the course for a make-up test. I told her they should see me the next day.
On my way home, I saw the girl at a junction close to her hostel. She was standing by the roadside with some boys. As soon as she entered my car, the boys also came in and pressed a metal on my back. So, I was forced to drive to the girl’s house.
As we got into the room, they removed my clothes and poured water on me. They demanded that I give them ransom before I could be freed. I was accused of making attempt to rape the girl. The boys humiliated me,” he said.
However, Chidimma denied framing up her teacher.
“I was frightened by the calls and had to leave for my safety. Some people called me that they were after me. The school is no longer safe for me,” she said, explaining that she has been receiving death threats.
The university management has said that it is aware of the “recent unfortunate incident between a male lecturer and a female student”. A committee has been set up to investigate the matter and all parties involved have been “advised to exercise restraint.”