Premium Times has come out with facts on how former Head of Department of Criminology at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State (FUOYE), Prof Adewole Atere impregnated a teenage student of his department, Miss Precious Azuka.
The victim, Azuka, was in her first semester at the university when she met the Professor in March 2017. She was 16 years old then. The brief meeting was followed by a message of love from the professor through one of his subordinates in the department, Chinedu Abrifor, a PhD holder.
READ ALSO: Freedom of Movement Into UK Ends October 31, 2019
According to both audio and documentary records of evidence exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Abrifor simply told Azuka then that she was ‘mature enough’ for Mr Atere.
While appearing before a fact-finding committee set up by the office of the then acting dean of students’ affairs, E.O Adeyemi, Azuka said;
“A few days after Dr Abrifor approached me, he accompanied Prof. Atere to my hostel and they took me to their house at Aiyegbaju where I spent the night. I was returned to the hostel by 6 a.m. the following day. This practice continued for weeks.”
The development led to disagreement between Azuka and her boyfriend, Kayode Fasanya. Mr Fasanya, who started dating Azuka, his classmate, in January 2017, quickly broke the relationship as soon as he was aware of the professor’s love affair with his girlfriend.
READ ALSO: EFCC Arrests Banker Over Allegation Of N35m Fraud
How the bubble burst
Less than two months into their amorous relationship, Azuka noticed she was not well. Medical test confirmed she was pregnant.
“I opted for abortion instantly but a doctor I saw said he doesn’t do it. So, when I got to the hostel, I took Lipton tea and lime which made me experience serious blood flow. When I didn’t see my menstruation the following months, I didn’t bother. I thought it had cleared,” she told the investigating team.
But by July, Azuka’s physical appearance had indicated she was pregnant. Her story was also on many lips within and outside the hostel.
READ ALSO: PATHETIC STORY! Justice For Gbolade Ejemai Who Was Murdered In Cold Blood In Ukraine
She said one of her friends, who was staying off-campus, identified simply as Priscilla, took her to an unnamed laboratory official at Oye Ekiti general hospital, a government-owned health facility.
“The laboratory official introduced me to Dr. Dada who eventually helped me out on Wednesday, July 26,” Azuka said.
Because the pregnancy was already about 21 weeks, PREMIUM TIMES learnt the doctor said dilation and curettage (D&C) could no longer be conducted, and thus offered to induce Azuka to labour.
“I was asked to return to the hospital as soon as the foetus was expelled.”
On the morning of July 27, 2017, Azuka went into labour and expelled the foetus.
Foetus found by cleaners
As they were busy packing the refuse at the hostel, one of the cleaners found a well wrapped cellophane bag dripping blood. The cleaner reportedly called the attention of her colleagues who noticed the freshness of the item and the need to trace its source.
“It was a Thursday morning and most of the students in the hostel had left for lectures. So it was easy to identify which room still had its occupant around. That was how Azuka was found in the room writhing in pain. She had lost so much blood that she could hardly talk,” a university source who asked not to be named told PREMIUM TIMES.
Azuka was rushed to the university’s clinic where she was placed on admission. She was discharged the following day, July 28, 2017.
Students’ affairs unit sets up fact-finding committee
Following a petition addressed to the university by an Ado-Ekiti-based legal practitioner, Olaolu Ayodele, the acting dean of students’ affairs on August 10, 2017, caused the university’s hostel management committee to set up a fact-finding sub-committee to look into the matter.
The committee had the school’s health centre director, Olawale M.O, as chairman and an administrative officer, Oye campus hostel, Ajewole F, as secretary. Other members were the female hall warden, Bakare L. and the head of maintenance unit, Mr. Adebayo, an engineer.
READ ALSO: Oyo Gov. Makinde Appoints Former Lagos Commissioner of Police, Owoseni As Security Adviser
The Sub-Committee’s report, which was submitted to the vice-chancellor’s office on August 14, 2017, was accompanied by a memo from the acting dean of students’ affairs, E. O Adeyemi.
The report reads in part;
“In the cause of our investigation, we gathered that after Azuka had been discharged, on August 2, 2017, Dr Abrifor called her and Kayode Fasanya for a meeting in his office at the faculty. On getting there, Dr Abrifor asked them to meet him at the mini campus junction by 6 p.m. the same day where they were driven to Ifaki Ekiti for another meeting.
“At the meeting, Azuka said Dr Abrifor accused Kayode Fasanya of impregnating her, and this led to an argument which was later settled when Dr Abrifor made a call to his wife and asked her to calculate conception from March to July. She did and said it would be between 21 to 22 weeks, which was exactly what the test result claimed.”
The report stated that the lecturer immediately apologised to Fasanya but asked him to claim responsibility to protect Prof. Atere’s image. “He also promised that the money spent on the abortion would be refunded, and that Fasanya would be rewarded handsomely including good academic grades.”
According to Azuka, Mr Abrifor called Mr Fasanya again at about 8 a.m. the following day that he should come with Azuka to their house at Aiyegbaju but Azuka was indisposed and so could not go.
The report added;
“When Fasanya got to Aiyegbaju, he met Dr Abrifor and Prof. Shola Omotola of the Political Science Department. They repeated the request that Fasanya should claim the pregnancy but he told them he would think about it. They also said a meeting with the director of administration on the campus, Mr Odusanya, had been scheduled for Tuesday, August 8, when all parties involved would sign an agreement that would be binding. But according to her, this meeting never held.”
WATCH VIDEO: BREAKING: Senator Ekweremadu Reacts To His Attack In Germany + VIDEO
Meanwhile, Azuka said on the evening of August 10, Mr Abrifor sent her N20,000 through Adeleke Abiodun, another student of the department. She said the doctor charged N13,000 for the abortion but she deposited N11,500 and was to pay N1,500 if she had returned for medications as scheduled.
In the report, the committee said Mr Fasanya also gave the same statement when he appeared before it.
The acting DSA in his memo advised the management to set up another panel that would be empowered to invite Messrs Atere, Omotola and Abrifor for questioning on the matter.
He also recommended that
“appropriate disciplinary action should be taken against anyone found guilty to forestall future occurrence and redeem the confidence of both the students and the general public on the university.”
WATCH VIDEO: WATCH VIDEO: Senator Ekweremadu Beaten By Angry Nigerians In Faraway Germany
According to Premium Times, Professor Atere could not be sanctioned because he has resigned from the institution.
He said the existing law of the university at the time Mr Atere left permitted resignation without notice.
“I had no power to stop him when he tendered his resignation letter because the law allowed him then. We have just reviewed our law to ensure that appropriate steps are taken before anyone could retire or resign. In fact, we have submitted it to the governing council and what we are waiting for is the approval,”
READ ALSO: TRAGEDY: Suicide Bomber Kills Over 60 At A Wedding Party
www.sojworldnews.com (c) August 19, 2019
Leave a Reply