A senior lecturer with the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Dr. Balogun Olaniran, was on Friday, arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), at the Ijebu-Ode High Court on charges bordering on sexual harassment and demanding money from a female student in exchange for marks.
Olaniran, who was arraigned on one count of violating Section 8(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, reportedly committed the offences in 2021.
According to the prosecution, Olaniran, who was the Head of the Department of Religious Studies at the institution between October and November 2021, demanded sexual benefit or the payment of the sum of N100,000 from a female student with a promise to alter her academic grades.
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Part of the charges against Olaniran, according to the ICPC stated that “Dr. Balogun Olaniran, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, corruptly demanded for sexual benefit or payment of the sum of N100,000 for himself from a female student, on account of a favour to be afterwards shown her in the discharge of his official duties as a lecturer and Head of Department of Religious Studies at the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, to wit, offering to alter her academic grades from fail to pass in courses with codes EDU 311 and EDU 312”.
When the charges were read to him, Olaniran pleaded not guilty and the trial judge admitted him to bail of N500,000 with a surety in like sum
The judge also ordered that the surety must provide evidence of 3 years of tax clearance and evidence of means while the case was adjourned to May 11, 2023, for the commencement of trial.
The accused was, however, ordered to be remanded in prison custody pending when his bail conditions are perfected.