NANS reveals sexual exploitation faced by female students in Ondo

The National Association of Nigerian Students has accused a female student at a school in Ondo State of being forced into a sex-for-grades situation by her Head of Department. This happened after she kept failing a key course needed for her graduation.

Akinteye Babatunde, the President of NANS, shared this in a statement on Friday titled, “Our Female Students Deserve Safety, Dignity, and Justice.”

He explained that the student had only one course left to graduate. She returned to school to retake the exam she had failed.

Akinteye said the student was told she failed the course again and went to see the lecturer, who was also the Head of Department, to ask why she could not pass. The NANS president mentioned that the lecturer told her she would never pass the course.

After several meetings, the lecturer allegedly asked her for a sexual favour in exchange for a passing grade. “She further alleged that, after several encounters, the lecturer demanded that she perform a sexual act on him in his office in exchange for a passing grade,” the statement said.

Akinteye said the student felt trapped. She thought she had no choice if she wanted to graduate. “Feeling trapped and believing she had no other option if she wanted to graduate, she said she complied and she gave him BLOW JOB as demanded by him,” he noted.

He explained that the student thought the matter would end there. But the lecturer allegedly kept contacting her about a week later. Akinteye claimed the lecturer called her many times and invited her to his house, suggesting she would need to continue the sexual relationship to clear her.

“Disturbed and afraid, she reached out to me for help,” Akinteye said.

He added that he wanted to make the matter public at first. But the student begged him not to do that. She was scared of more victimization and just wanted to graduate without any more trouble.

He then contacted the right people at the school and was told within three hours that the student had been cleared. “While I am relieved that she was able to complete her academic process, I am deeply saddened that she was too afraid to publicly identify herself or the lecturer involved,” he said.

Akinteye described this incident as part of a bigger problem of sexual exploitation in schools. He pointed out that many similar cases are not reported because victims fear retaliation or shame.

“No student should ever be forced to exchange sexual favours for academic success. Our campuses must be places of learning, not environments where students are exploited by those entrusted with their education,” he added.

He urged female students facing sexual harassment or exploitation to report such cases to the National Director of Gender of NANS. He assured them that their complaints would be taken seriously and handled in confidence.

“We are committed to handling such complaints professionally, confidentially, and with the seriousness they deserve. Together, we must build campuses where every student can pursue an education free from fear, harassment, and abuse,” he said.

The NANS president did not reveal the name of the school, the lecturer, or the student involved. Efforts to get a response from the school were unsuccessful as NANS did not identify it in their statement. The allegations have also not been independently verified by PUNCH Online.