Sex-for-marks: Professor bags 2 year jail term

Former lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Professor Richard Akindele, who was involved in a sex-for-mark scandal with one of his students, Monica Osagie, after demanding for sex from her to award her marks in order to pass her course, was yesterday sentenced to two years imprisonment by Justice Maurine Onyetenu of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital. Akindele was jailed on a four-count charge.

In her judgment, Onyetenu sentenced the convict to 24 months on count one, 24 months on count two, 12 months on count three and 12 months on count four. The total sentence is six years. But Onyetenu said the jail term should run concurrently, thereby making it two years imprisonment.

Earlier, Akindele had pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) when he was arraigned before Onyetenu on November 19. He had since then been remanded in prison custody, following an objection to his bail.

But when the case came up yesterday, the embattled professor changed his earlier plea and admitted guilty of the charges.
Efforts by his counsels to suspend the sentence and negotiate for plea bargain failed because Onyetenu frowned at the rampant cases of students’ harassment by lecturers in tertiary institutions.

Onyetenu, who spoke in an emotion-laden voice, said: “The plea bargain is not absolute. The court still has discretion. This kind of issue is too rampant in our tertiary institutions. We send children to school, but they come home to tell us that lecturers want to sleep with them.

“We can not continue like this. Somebody has to be used as example. Even primary schools pupils are complaining. Telling me to suspend sentence does not arise. Plea bargain does not arise. Maybe, the case continues to occur and recur because someone has not been used as example.
“It is time for the court to start upholding the right of the children, especially female students. The case is endemic.”

Counsel to the defendant, Mr. Francis Omotosho, however, argued that the defendant had lost his job and had learnt his lesson. He also disclosed to the court that the university had discovered the mistake in the marking of the examination paper of the victim (Osagie) and had concluded plans to compensate her.

He added that plans were ongoing to build the front view of lecturers’ offices at OAU with transparent glasses to discourage attempt by lecturers to take advantage of girls in offices.
But the judge, who was not convinced with the prayer of the counsel, said: “Do you think they do it in the office? They go to hotel.”

After examining the plea bargain entered into and signed by the counsels, the judge said there was need to deter other people because of the nature of the case.
Counsel to the ICPC, Mr. Shogunle Adenekan, urged the court to confiscate the mobile phone of the defendant and forfeit it to the Federal Government.
He also urged the court to grant an order to release the mobile phone belonging to Osagie.
Onyetenu ordered that the Samsung X4 of the victim should be returned to her but the Samsung X8 of the defendant should be forfeited to the Federal Government. The judge said Akindele would serve the jail term at Ilesa Prison in Osun State because of the gravity of his offence.

Onyetenu ordered that the Samsung X4 of the victim should be returned to her but the Samsung X8 of the defendant should be forfeited to the Federal Government. The judge said Akindele would serve the jail term at Ilesa Prison in Osun State because of the gravity of his offence.