NANS Raises Alarm Over Alleged S8x-for-Grades Case in Ondo Institution

The National Association of Nigerian Students has alleged that a female student of a tertiary institution in Ondo State was coerced into a sex-for-grades ordeal by her Head of Department after repeatedly failing a compulsory course needed for her graduation.

The President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde, disclosed this in a statement on Friday titled, “Our Female Students Deserve Safety, Dignity, and Justice.”

According to Akinteye, the student had only one outstanding course preventing her from graduating with her colleagues and returned to the institution to retake the examination.

He said she was informed she had failed the course again and subsequently approached the lecturer, who also served as the Head of Department, to seek clarification on why she was unable to pass.

According to the NANS president, the student alleged that the lecturer told her she could never pass the course and, after several encounters, demanded a se3ual favour in exchange for awarding her a passing grade.

He stated that she further alleged that, after several encounters, the lecturer demanded she perform a se3ual act on him in his office in exchange for a passing grade.

Akinteye said the student claimed she felt trapped and believed she had no other option if she wanted to graduate, and that feeling trapped and cornered, she complied with the lecturer’s demand.

According to him, the student believed the incident would end there, but the lecturer allegedly continued contacting her about a week later, repeatedly calling her and inviting her to his residence, implying that she would need to continue the se3ual relationship before finally being cleared.

Disturbed and afraid, she reached out to him for help, Akinteye said.

The NANS president explained that although he initially intended to escalate the matter publicly, the student pleaded with him not to do so, as she feared further victimisation and only wanted to graduate without additional harassment.

He said he subsequently contacted relevant authorities within the institution and was informed within three hours that the student had been cleared.

While expressing relief that she was able to complete her academic process, Akinteye said he was deeply saddened that she was too afraid to publicly identify herself or the lecturer involved, noting that this reflects the fear, intimidation, and stigma many female students face when confronted with se3ual harassment.

Akinteye described the incident as part of a wider problem of se3ual exploitation in tertiary institutions, noting that many similar cases go unreported because victims fear retaliation, embarrassment, and victimisation.

He stressed that no student should ever be forced to exchange se3ual favours for academic success, adding that campuses must be places of learning rather than environments where students are exploited by those entrusted with their education.

He urged female students experiencing se3ual harassment, intimidation, or exploitation to report such incidents to the National Director of Gender of NANS, assuring them that complaints would be handled professionally, confidentially, and with the seriousness they deserve, stressing a commitment to building campuses where every student can pursue an education free from fear, harassment, and abuse.

The NANS president, however, did not disclose the name of the institution, the lecturer, or the student involved.

Efforts to obtain the institution’s reaction were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report, as NANS did not identify the school in its statement.

The allegations have also not been independently verified.