LASU fires senior lecturers for sexual assault

The Lagos State University (LASU) on Tuesday confirmed the dismissal of three of its academic staff for sexual harassment and misconduct.

The university’s spokesman, Mr Ademola Adekoya, said the institution’s Governing Council took the decision at its 119th Statutory Meeting on Oct 4, as recommended by the Joint Council/Senate (Academic) Disciplinary Committee.

Adekoya named the affected staff as Dr Sunkanmi Odubunmi, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Dr Ajani Ogunwande, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry.

“Also, Dr Emmanuel Gbeleyi, Lecturer II, Department of Anatomy, Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja, Lagos,” Adekoya said in a statement.

According to him, the council also approved the promotion of 49 Academic Staff and 200 Non-Academic Staff into various positions.

The spokesman said 29 non-academic staff of the university had benefited from an internal recruitment exercise recently conducted by the university.

“They include 18 Administrative Officers II, three Technologists II, four System Analysts, two Academic Planning Officers II and two Industrial Liaison Officers,’’ he said.

Adekoya, however, noted that the current authority of the university by the development had further demonstrated its zero-tolerance for sexual harassment and general indiscipline.

He said the decision of the university was also in line with its drive to continually promote the welfare of both deserving staff and students of the institution.

Dr Odubunmi and Ogunwande had invited the female students whom they had harassed and failed their courses to their office to write an exam on a Saturday.

The students had reported the lecturers to the university security unit who bombarded them with recorders to trap them in the act.

However, the LASUCOM lecturer, Gbeleyi was reported by two female students who he asked to buy an injection, which he allegedly used to sedate them before he sexually took advantage of them.