Denrele narrates how he was sexually harassed by a lecturer who thought he was a girl
Media personality Denrele Edun has recounted moments when he was allegedly harassed sexually by a lecturer, who mistook him for a girl, in his office.
He shared his experience with Tayemesan on the latest episode of his podcast, ‘Tea with Tay’, claiming the lecturer thought he was a girl.
He said, “I’ve never said this anywhere. I got harassed in a lecturer’s office. The lecturer thought I was a girl, yes. And it was one of those courses that you know, one of those general courses. I will not say the course name.”
Further detailing the experience, he said, “They asked us to submit my assignment and said me I should submit my own tomorrow. Me I no said, ‘Ah! Thank God o! They even gave me time.’ Because as an educationist, if you’re studying English Education, you’ll do both…. you’ll go to Arts, Education. And it’s always stressful. And we might have class 8-10am in Education and 10-11am in Arts. So, you’re scrambling for the campus shuttle or you have to walk or run. And I mean, I didn’t have a car at the time.
“So, one of those times, I wrote a paper and anytime I wanted to submit, the lecturer would say, ‘Don’t worry, come back.’ So I was like this lecturer is nice o! So, one day I went and I was like, ‘Sir, I want to see you.’ And he said, ‘Oh, fine girl; come in.’ So I was stuck. I now said, ‘Hey, if I now say I’m not fine girl, this course I’ve failed it’. So when I entered, I was like ‘Well done sir’ and he said, ‘Drop it’ teasingly.
“And you know, he started coming closer. Then I realised I was done for. He was already coming on, not too strong but I could feel the energy because we already heard the gist about this particular lecturer. So, I said, ‘I have entered this one today’. I couldn’t tell anyone obviously or could I tell him upfront that I was a bros and that he should step back. Of course that would have meant me failing that course instantly.
“And at some point, he said the funniest thing ever, I can never forget that line. He said, ‘Sit on my lap’. I told him I was okay where I was and then he just stood in front of me and said, ‘Oya, come and make it go down.’ I was like, ‘Sir, ki ni yen? (What is that?)’. So you know, I was scared, I was really frantic. I was perplexed, everything. It was a rollercoaster of emotions. So I was just doing, ‘Sir, I’ll come back.’
“Then he spoke Yoruba and said I should go. That children who behaved like me were the most spoilt. When I came out, everybody that greeted me, I didn’t even answer. I was just walking down that Arts corridor till I got to the car park.”
According to the controversial media figure, this was the first time he was sharing the experience with anyone.