Here's her story:
I had finished my project with my supervisor a pleasant middle aged woman but because she retired before I could get time off work to have her sign off my score sheet I had been re-assigned to Mr Akinfolarin Baruwa as my new project supervisor.
My first impression about him was he was a no nonsense kinda lecturer. I walked into the office he was at the bus admin complex top floor he seemed to be sharing an office with another lecturer.
It was about 5pm I had a paper that day. He didn’t attend to me till the other man was done, he sent me on silly errands like “make this photocopy”, “go and buy me tom tom” all this continued till about 8pm after waiting for like forever he attended to me, glanced at my work and said it was rubbish and couldn’t believe my former supervisor who happened to be a professor could approve such nonsense I appealed to him that it was exam period I couldn’t possibly work on my project from the scratch and still meet the deadline for submission so I begged him to let me make corrections instead.
He said someone has done the same topic 2/3 years back and he would easily report me to the authorities that I copied which would guarantee I’ve an extra year. He went on and on ,he had me believe the work was so bad assuring me that I couldn’t escape an extra year he even said he would report me for plagiarism because I forgot to site a particular reference. At some point he said I shouldn’t bother with correcting the work that he’s submitting my name to Admin with the batch of students to be carried over next year, I was stoned.
After begging him over and over to make me correct [mostly typographical errors] he finally agreed, my mind was finally at rest and I thanked him, as I made to leave he looked at me and was like ‘is that how to say thank you?’ I then went on both knees thanking him profusely “thank you sir”, “God bless you sir”…. While I was at it he was closing the blinds of the office and he turned off the A/C [the office was very cold] like he was going to wrap up for the day, he was clearing the sofa that had other peoples projects next thing I know he locks the door…
I was stilling trying to wrap my head around him locking the door when he dragged me; Stella I was a size 12 5”4 then, I am big, this guy is strong ,he just grabbed my boobs and my arms to his manhood rubbing it, next thing He was forcefully trying to remove my clothes, when I tried to force myself off his grip he got more aggressive when I tried to scream he got even more aggressive.
That place is isolated and quiet at night [the office is opposite UNILAG guesthouse by the sea side] I figured screaming was a waste of time and being forceful wasn’t getting anywhere so I lay still begging, then I began to cry “I’m asthmatic I can’t breathe” so I pretended to have an attack then he stopped he started apologising he said it was a mistake and he’s usually not like that and he’s sorry then he started again apologising that he’s hard, okay he doesn’t want sex again that I should just give him a hand job, I said I needed air that he should please open the door [acting like I was about to faint], he then finally opened the door apologising, I rushed out and I was still acting like I was short of breath and fainting with plenty tears in my eyes.
He later called me apologising that he doesn’t know what got over him, it was a mistake etc. I told my best friend, i was in complete shock ,all my years in UNILAG I had never experienced such, i was so stunned that day i lost my bag.
On another occasion I had to have him sign my score sheet and i thought to my that this was broad daylight and what could possibly happen?
A lecture was going on the floor before and the noise from the mega phone clouded the office and this man started again. I was furious and I started to insult him when he was trying to pin me down and as we were dragging my shirt tore and as I was shouting he pushed me.
I stormed out and he was shouting “get out of my office”, ”you can’t graduate i promise you”.
This time I had had it and I was going to the authorities, when I got downstairs I met a friend who happened to be a staff and he saw how mad I was and I narrated all that had happened.
If you see the way this man painted me black, he denied what happened he almost denied knowing me sef in fact he was mumbling my name like we had just met 5min ago. “He said you know how these students can get” the way he turned the story around I know deep down they knew he was lying but they had to be diplomatic they asked me to do my corrections and forget the matter.
Baruwa then started stalking me.
This man frustrated me because it was a finished project before I was assigned to him, he made me redo and retype, photocopy, bind about 3 times over and every given time he says “you just like punishing yourself” with a snare.
It was one thing for a lecturer to ask a student out, it was a different thing entirely to manipulate me into sleeping with you and physically and emotionally harassing me in the process.
When he saw I was adamant he held on to my score sheetwithout which I couldn’t submit my project or do my defence. He was eager to break me but when I had had enough I reported to the authorities and at that point I was introduced to another girl by my class governor who had complained about this same Baruwa man.
I’ve attached a copy of the handwritten letter I submitted to the authorities and I had to keep it short and brief. The other girls he sexually harassed [my roommate and the other girl] didn’t show up on the day of the report and my class governor didn’t want to have anything to do with the case too so i flew solo.
I guess everybody was afraid of the consequences of reporting a lecturer.
The school promised to look into the matter but I think because of lack of concrete evidence or other witnesses the best they could do was stop him from supervising student’s projects.
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