Eleven women-centred and human rights organisations have petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to immediately take over the probing of Abayomi Sunday Fasina, a professor of soil science and the vice chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), about a sexual harassment case against him.
The civil society organisations do not trust the integrity and credibility of a 9-man committee set up by the FUOYE governing council to investigate the matter.
On Sunday, FIJ reported that the committee was constituted with six terms of reference following reports by FIJ exposing how Fasina humiliated and harassed Folasade Adebayo, a married staff of the school, after she repeatedly turned down the professor’s demand for a sexual relationship.
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“We respectfully express our lack of confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the committee constituted by the Governing Council of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti to investigate this matter and request the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to immediately assume jurisdiction over this case to conduct an independent, thorough, and impartial investigation into the allegations against Professor Fasina,” the petition stated.
Fasina’s actions violated the provisions of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 as well as Section 19 of the ICPC Act, according to the groups in their petition made available to FIJ on Monday.
They also questioned the motive of the committee’s terms of reference, which appear to be targeted at victimising Adebayo.
“On January 20, 2025, an exclusive investigative report published by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) detailed allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the vice chancellor of FUOYE, Professor Abayomi Fasina,” the petition read in part.
“The report includes audio recordings, which unequivocally capture the vice chancellor coercing a subordinate to engage in an illicit sexual relationship against her will.
“The evidence provided indicates that the vice chancellor abused his position of authority to make inappropriate and persistent sexual advances toward Mrs Adebayo. Despite her repeated refusals, Professor Fasina employed manipulative tactics and leveraged his administrative powers and institutional influence to pressure her into compliance.”
The petition went on to state that the panel’s mandate suggested a lack of objectivity and a likelihood of victim-blaming.
“The mandate of the Governing Council’s investigative panel raises red flags about its objectivity and the likelihood of victim-blaming. By focusing on the victim’s actions (e.g., recording the conversations) rather than solely addressing the perpetrator’s misconduct, the panel risks perpetuating the culture of impunity and discouraging other victims from coming forward,” the petition read.
“FUOYE has a troubling history of mishandling sexual harassment cases involving its staff. Previous incidents, such as the cases of Professors Adewole Atere and Anthony Agbegbedia, were met with institutional complacency, with perpetrators often receiving minimal disciplinary action while victims were left without justice.
“Given the power dynamics at play, there is a high likelihood of retaliation against Mrs Adebayo, including threats to her job security, professional reputation, or personal safety. It is imperative that she receives adequate protection throughout this process.”
Among other demands, the civil society organisations requested an independent investigation into the case by the ICPC and the provision of psychological and institutional protection for the victim by relevant agencies of government.
“The investigative scope should include a review of FUOYE’s internal mechanisms for handling sexual harassment cases, with a focus on identifying systemic failures and recommending necessary reforms,” the groups demanded.
“The Federal Ministry of Education should review FUOYE’s institutional policies on sexual harassment and workplace ethics and mandate the implementation of robust preventative measures and accountability frameworks and further direct the National Universities Commission to prioritise sexual harassment prevention as a regulatory issue.
“The National Universities Commission should perform its regulatory role of ensuring quality assurance which should extend to the safety of both educators and learners in transferring knowledge and acquiring same respectively.
“FUOYE’s Governing Council should be held accountable for any procedural lapses or attempts to shield the vice chancellor from justice.
“This case serves as a litmus test for Nigeria’s commitment to eradicating power-centred gender-based violence and fostering a culture of accountability in public institutions.
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“In light of the foregoing, we, the undersigned Civil Society Organisations, respectfully urge the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to exercise its statutory powers under the ICPC Act, 2000, particularly Sections 19, 22(3), and other relevant provisions, to investigate the alleged abuse of office by Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE),” the groups wrote.
“We implore the commission to ensure that this investigation results in concrete legal and institutional outcomes that serve as a deterrent to similar conduct in the future, thereby upholding the rule of law and fostering trust in Nigeria’s public institutions.”
The civil society organisations involved in the petition are Gender Mobile Initiative, Baobab for Women’s Human Rights, Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development, Hope Behind Bars Africa, The New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD), Community Women’s Rights Foundation, Gender Relevance Initiative Promotion, Education As A Vaccine, Shehu Musa Yar-Adua Foundation, Braveheart Initiative and Huwaila Muhammed Ibrahim Speakout Africa Initiative.
Nine federal authorities, including the Inspector General of Police, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Human Rights Commission, and the National Assembly’s committees on tertiary education, corruption, and universities, were copied in the petition.
The post 11 CSOs Ask ICPC to Probe FUOYE VC Abayomi Fasina for Sexual Harassment of Subordinate appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.