A 20-year-old undergraduate of the University of Lagos has narrated before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja how her complaint of alleged rape against a lecturer was initially dismissed by her Head of Department, who reportedly advised her and her uncle to “let it go.”
The student gave an emotional account on Wednesday while testifying as the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a 53-year-old lecturer, Samuel Obinna Ojogbo, who is being prosecuted by the Lagos State Government on a two-count charge bordering on alleged rape and sexual assault.
The proceedings were presided over by Justice Oyindamola Ogala.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, A.O. Azeez, the visibly shaken witness recounted that the alleged incident occurred on August 22, 2025, at about noon within the Akoka campus of the university.
Introducing herself simply as a student of the institution, she told the court that the events leading to the alleged assault began a day earlier during an examination.
According to her testimony, she had been writing an exam on August 21, 2025, when the defendant entered the hall and approached her seat in the front row. He allegedly engaged her in a brief conversation about the exam, asking if the questions aligned with what she had studied. She responded affirmatively, noting that she was more confident in one section than another.
She stated that the lecturer then made what she described as an unusual request, asking her not to worry and instructing her to see him in his office after the examination.
The student told the court that she made attempts to meet him afterward but was unable to do so, as he was not available on both occasions she visited, including once when she was accompanied by a friend.
She explained that on the following day, August 22, she had another examination scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., which the defendant supervised. After completing the exam, she encountered him near her faculty while heading back to her hostel.
According to her, he signalled for her to wait while he concluded a conversation with another individual. She complied, after which they both proceeded to his office.
Describing the location, the witness said the office was situated underground, with no windows and no secretary present—details she said contributed to her sense of vulnerability.
While they were inside, she testified that two female students briefly entered to discuss missed tests but were promptly dismissed by the lecturer, who told them they were disturbing him.
What followed, she said, was sudden and traumatic.
She told the court that the door had not been properly shut by the departing students, and the lecturer instructed her to close it. As she moved to do so, she alleged that he came up behind her, pushed her onto a couch near the door, and began to assault her.
Fighting back tears during her testimony, she alleged that the lecturer touched her inappropriately and proceeded to rape her.
The student further told the court that after the alleged assault, the lecturer made promises concerning her academic future, including offering to supervise her final-year project. She said he also collected her exam docket, made a copy for himself, returned the original to her, and obtained her phone number.
She recounted that she left the office in tears and immediately confided in a friend, after which they agreed to report the incident.
The matter was first brought to the attention of a lecturer in her department, identified as Dr Abu, who subsequently contacted her uncle, also a lecturer in the department. Together, they proceeded to the office of the Head of Department to formally lodge the complaint.
However, the student described the response she received from the HOD as dismissive and discouraging.
According to her, the HOD questioned the veracity of her claims, asking where the evidence was and why she had not recorded the incident on her phone. She said the HOD then invited the accused lecturer into his office to respond to the allegation.
In her account, the defendant denied the accusation, insisting that no such incident occurred and alleging that the student was fabricating the claim.
The witness told the court that the HOD subsequently advised her and her uncle to drop the matter, suggesting that she should be more cautious when interacting with lecturers in the future.
Despite this, her uncle reportedly refused to abandon the case, insisting that the matter be pursued.
The student testified that they then escalated the complaint to the university’s Servicom office, where she was accompanied by a staff member to the institution’s medical centre for examination. She said tests were conducted and medication prescribed.
She further stated that the case was reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, which referred the matter to the police.
According to her testimony, she was initially taken to the Bariga Police Station and later referred to the Women at Risk International Foundation for further medical evaluation.
She added that the case was subsequently transferred to the Gender Unit of the police command for detailed investigation.
The witness also disclosed that there were attempts by associates of the defendant to resolve the matter outside the courtroom.
She said members of the lecturer’s family and friends reached out, proposing meetings aimed at settling the dispute amicably, though she did not indicate that any agreement was reached.
Following her testimony, Justice Ogala adjourned the case until April 27, 2026, for cross-examination, as the trial continues.
The case has drawn attention to issues of accountability within academic institutions and the handling of sexual misconduct allegations, particularly the responsibilities of university authorities when such complaints are brought forward.
