Despite a plea bargain, Justice Maureen Onyetenu of Osogbo High Court on Monday set an example with former lecturer of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Richard Iyiola Akindele, by sentencing him to two years imprisonment for demanding sex to pass one of his students, Monica Osagie.
Justice Onyetenu said, notwithstanding the plea bargain arrived at by the parties, Akindele should be used as a scapegoat to deter higher institutions’ lecturers from the habit of molesting female students.
According to the judge, plea bargain only applies when public interest is involved, explaining that public interest was against Akindele as many female students have been turned to sex slaves by higher institutions’ lecturers.
Onyetenu said, “The menace is getting to secondary and primary schools. I am a pastor and a counsellor. I know mental torture many of our female students have been subjected to by the likes of the respondent.
“The adverse effect of such action is huge. Many of his likes have been awarding marks to those students that are ready to warm their beds, thereby releasing half-baked graduates into the society,”
She therefore sentenced Akindele to 24 months jail-term.
Earlier, Akindele had informed the court of his decision to change his plea from ‘not guilty’ to ‘guilty.’
The former OAU lecturer was dragged to court for soliciting from Monica sexual benefit to upgrade her marks.
An ostensibly disgusted Justice Onyetenu also sentenced Akindele to 12 months jail-term for deleting parts of the Whatsapp conversation between him and Miss Osagie to destroy evidence against him and sentenced him to another 12 months jail-term for age falsification.
She however said the six years jail terms are to run concurrently.
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