UNILAG Lecturers May Be Jailed For Five Years; As Senate Revisits Sexual Predators Bill

By Akinwale Kasali

The two University of Lagos Lecturers,  Dr. Boniface Ibeneghu, and Dr.Samuel Oladipo  exposed by a British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC,  undercover journalist, who posed as a 17 year old seeking admission,  for sexual harassment of students and admission seekers, may be jailed for five years if the Senate has its way.

Following the embarrassing expose, the Senate on Thursday revisited the Sexual Harassment Bill, sponsored by Deputy Senate President Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the 8th Senate and passed by the 9th Senate.

According to the bill, an educator will be “guilty of committing an offence of sexual harassment against a student if he/she has sexual intercourse with a student who is less than 18 years of age; has sexual intercourse with a student or demands sex from a student or a prospective student as a condition to study in an institution, or as a condition to the giving of a passing grade or the granting of honour and scholarships.”

The bill prescribes that: “Any person who commits any of the acts specified in Section 4 of this Act is guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years, but not less than two years without any option of a fine.

At the 8th Senate, the Bill suffered a setback under the Senator Bukola Saraki led Senate, as the Senate President failed to asent to the Bill.

The Bill failed to be assented to as some of the Senators queried that  it should be more inclusive and not discriminatory or targeted only at University and Tertiary Institution lecturers.

Recall that the Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed a law that any rapist and paedophiles will be sentenced to life imprisonment without any option of fine.

The decision was praised and endorsed by the Governor of the State, Kayode Fayemi.

Other Bills that scaled the first reading at today’s plenary include: Federal Polytechnic Daura Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Babba Kaita Ahmad (APC, Katsina North); Modibo Adama University of Technology Bill, 2019, by Senator Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru (Adamawa Central); National Rice Development Council Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Muhammad Enagi Bima (APC, Niger South), and National Health Insurance Commission Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central).

Others are: National Institute for Business Studies Nnewi, Anambra State Bill, 2019, by Senator Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah (YPP, Anambra South), and Federal College of Education Monguno, Borno State Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Abubakar Kyari (APC, Borno North).