A 20-year-old University of Lagos (UNILAG) student has told a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja how university officials allegedly reacted after she reported a sexual assault complaint against a lecturer.
The student gave her testimony before Justice Oyindamola Ogala as the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a 53-year-old lecturer, Samuel Obinna Ojogbo, who is facing a two-count charge of alleged rape and sexual assault brought by the Lagos State Government.
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She told the court that the incident allegedly occurred on August 22, 2025, on the university’s Akoka campus, following earlier interactions with the lecturer during examination activities.
According to her testimony, she reported the incident shortly after it allegedly occurred and sought support through a colleague in her department before the matter was escalated within the faculty structure.
The student said she and her uncle later approached departmental authorities, including the Head of Department (HOD), to report the complaint.
However, she alleged that the HOD questioned her account, asked about evidence, and suggested she should have recorded proof of the incident.
She further told the court that the HOD later invited the lecturer, who denied the allegation when confronted.
The witness also alleged that the HOD advised her and her uncle to drop the matter and “let it go,” and cautioned her to be more careful around lecturers in future.
Despite this, she said her uncle insisted the matter should not be abandoned, leading to further escalation of the complaint to the university’s SERVICOM unit, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, and subsequently the police.
She added that she underwent medical evaluation as part of the investigation process and that the case was later transferred to the Gender Unit of the police command.
The court also heard that there were attempts by the defendant’s associates to reach out for possible settlement outside court.
Justice Ogala adjourned the case until April 27, 2026, for cross-examination as proceedings continue.
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