A former lecturer in the OAU, Ile Ife, Prof. Richard Iyiola Akindele, who was dragged to court for demanding sex to pass one of his students, Monica Osagie, on Monday, was sentenced to two years in prison.
Justice Maureen Onyetenu, who had to stand down the case two times, before finally giving her judgement, said regardless of the plea bargain arrived at by the parties, Akindele should be used as a scapegoat to deter higher institutions’ lecturers in the habit of molesting female students because of sex from engaging in such acts.
She sentenced Akindele to 24 months jail-term for asking Monica for a sexual benefit and handed him another 24 months jail-term for soliciting from the victim sexual benefit to pass her.
The visibly displeased Justice Onyetenu also sentenced Akindele to 12 months jail-term for deleting parts of the Whatsapp conversation between him and Miss Osagie to conceal evidence against him and sentenced him to another 12 months jail-term for falsification of age. The six years jail terms are to run concurrently.
The judge who insisted that plea bargain could apply when public interest was involved, stressed that public interest was against Akindele, saying many female students have been turned to sex slaves by higher institutions’ lecturers.
“The menace is getting to secondary and primary schools. I am a pastor and a counsellor. I know mental torture many of our female students have been subjected to by the likes of the respondent.
“The adverse effect of such action is huge. Many of his likes have been awarding marks to those students that are ready to warm their beds, thereby releasing half-baked graduates into the society,” Onyetenu said.
Earlier, Akindele informed the court of his decision to change his plea from ‘not guilty’ to ‘guilty.’