Hope you recalled the part-time lecturer of the University of Lagos, Akin Baruwa, who allegedly raped an 18-year-old admission seeker, Shola (not real name) . A 28-year-old former student of the lecturer, has come out with a revelation of how she barely escaped being raped by the accused.
The young woman, who spoke under the strict condition of anonymity, explained that the sexual assault of the 18-year-old girl provided a window of opportunity for her to expose what she went through in the hands of Baruwa.
In February 2014, Agnes (not real name) was finalising her undergraduate project at the Distant Learning Institute of UNILAG. She told Saturday PUNCH she was like a prey, which fell into the lap of Baruwa, when she was reassigned to him after her supervisor retired.
Agnes explained to our correspondent that she felt a surge of anger when she realised that some reactions to Shola’s story showed that some people did not believe the poor girl’s story.
She explained that she felt obligated to share her own story as a way of showing solidarity with the girl.
Agnes said, “I finished my project around December 2013. It was around that time my supervisor, who was a very pleasant woman, retired. I was reassigned to Mr. Akinfolarin Baruwa. I got his number and called him on the phone and he told me to come the following day.
Certification page of Agnes Project signed by Baruwa
“He fixed the appointment around 5pm the next day. I went to meet him in an office in the Faculty of Business Administration, which he shared with another lecturer. I noticed it was the other lecturer’s name that was on the door.
“When I got to his office, I noticed that there was a student that came to submit her project also. She was from the Lagos State University. So, I supposed he was also doing part-time work at LASU.
“While I was there, other students came to submit their projects also and he told me to wait outside. Later he started sending me on errands. He would tell me to go and make one photocopy or another or buy things for him. I was patient and did everything he asked.
“He did all these until around 8pm when he eventually looked at my project. As soon as he opened the pages, he flung it away. ‘What kind of rubbish is this?’ he said. He said I would have to start the project from the beginning.
“Mr. Baruwa told me that everything I did was rubbish. He said I did not cite a particular reference somewhere and said he would report me to our course adviser for plagiarism and I would be given an extra year. He just wanted to hold on to something just to rubbish my work.”
Agnes alleged that it was at this point that she started to beg Baruwa. She claimed that she was on her knees because she was writing exams and most of her colleagues had already finished their project.
“There was also a deadline I had to meet for the submission of the project. I explained all these to him and begged. Later, he said I should drop the project that he would see what he could do about it,” Agnes said.
According to Agnes, Baruwa does not have a doctoral degree. She said he was a part-time lecturer, who was assigned students for supervision and given invigilation roles during examinations.
It would be recalled that the management of UNILAG had on Monday, denied having Baruwa under the employ of the institution despite the fact that he supervised the final projects of many students in the Faculty of Business Administration.
Infact, Agnes, who is now married, showed our correspondent a copy of her undergraduate project, bearing Baruwa’s name and signature.
Agnes said after Baruwa softened on his threat that she would have an extra year, she went down on her knees to thank him but while she was mouthing her appreciation, the man allegedly moved around the office closing the blinds.
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