UNIABUJA sacks two professors for sexual harassment, falsification of academic records

The authorities of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) has sacked a professor and former dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Adeniji Adedayo Abiodun for sexually harassing a student.

The University also dismissed Professor Chibuzo Orji of the Department of Science and Environmental Education, Faculty of Education, UNIABUJA, for falsification of academic records, aiding and abetting of examination malpractice.

The Head of Information and Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr Habib Yakoob, confirmed the development to Tribune Online on Monday in Abuja.

He said: “The University Council had at its 85th Regular Meeting held on Wednesday, 11th and Thursday, 12th December 2019, considered reports and recommendations from its Disciplinary Committee and after due diligence, approved the termination of the appointment of the two professors.

“A female student of the university had in July this year, alleged that a professor in the Department of Agriculture of the university allegedly demanded sex in order to give her marks.

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The lecturer had earlier been issued a query after he was caught during a sting operation by policemen of the Gwarinpa police station after a student with registration number 16211546 reported that he had threatened she would fail a course unless she gave in to his sexual demands.

Tribune Online gathered that operatives of the Gwarinpa police station during the investigation caught the professor pants down in a hotel room in the highbrow estate of the Federal Capital Territory.

Yakoob said: “Council also approved the demotion of Dr Robert Dajal, Department of Science and Environmental Education, Faculty of Education by a rank, from Associate Professor to Senior Lecturer, and Mr Gana Emmanuel Sunday Defian, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture by two ranks, from Lecturer 1 to Assistant Lecturer, for their complicity in various acts of misconduct inimical to the good image of the University.

“The University of Abuja wishes to restate its commitment to high moral standards and determination to take appropriate disciplinary measures against any act of misconduct perpetrated by its staff and/or students, in the interest of justice and educational development,” he said.