An old student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Laide Johnson (not real name) has alleged one Mr. Adebayo Akande, a staff of the Industrial Training IT/SIWES office of the institution of demanding for sex from her before giving her the letter required to undergo a one-year Industrial Attachment (IT) before proceeding for Higher National Diploma (HND).
A report by The ICIR revealed that Laide who completed her National Diploma in the School last year traveled to her home in Ilaro, Ogun State for a short holiday after the completion of her final exam.
After spending a few days with her parents, she returned to the institution to collect a letter of introduction and application required to apply for an internship position in any organization of her choice.
However, in what she described as the greatest nightmare of her life, on the 3rd of march, when she went to the ITF office, the official she met, Mr. Adebayo Akande, told her to have sex with him before giving her the IT letter. After much persuasion, he demanded #1000 for her to get the letter.
Adeola, a cousin of Laide who is also a student of the School who got her own letter on the 23rd of December she claimed they paid only N200 into the school’s Microfinance bank for the letter last year. Some other students of the institution who spoke with OYOINSIGHT.COM confirmed this.
According to her, “… he asked if my cousin can ‘play’ with him. And I asked how?”
“He then responded saying if I know I wanted to get my IT letter, one of us must ‘play’ with him. So, he requested my name and that of my cousin.”
“I told him I was willing to give him any amount but he insisted that he wanted sex by all means.”
After mounting pressure on her through a series of phone calls, Adeola who studied Geology in the school decided to play along in other to gather evidence against Mr. Akande – her tormentor.
For one week the student and her ‘tormentor ’exchanged several phone calls during which she gathered enough much-needed evidence.
On the 8th March, Akande called Laide to inform her that he had secured a room at Apete where they will meet on Monday, March 9.
At about 4:08 pm on Monday, Akande called Laide to meet him at Holab Garden, a relaxation spot beside Samong Filling Station, opposite Apete Police Station, Ibadan.
Meanwhile, the lady had informed the police before arriving at the agreed venue. The police, according to her, also promised to draft some officers to the relaxation center where they were scheduled to meet to arrest Mr. Akande, the sexual predator.
Immediately he arrived and they began their conversation, Laideasked him several times if he can allow her to pay for the letter with money rather than sex but the man refused.
According to the report by The ICIR, at that moment, a call came in for him and he spent a few minutes on the call. But immediately he ended the conversation, Akande asked if she could pay N5,000.
“Do you have N5,000?” he asked.
N5,000? Laide exclaimed.
“I can only part with N2,000. Can I pay N2,000?” she asked again, yet Akande insisted on his price.
But in a swift, Akande became anxious as he was really ready to satisfy his lust. “Bami sere nah, she mo ugly ni?” (“Have sex with me now, or am I too ugly for you?”) he said persuasively.
As the conservation went on, Akande brought out the document and handed it to her. Laide scanned through it joyfully, if it was real. “Yes, it was,” she told herself.
“I can’t lie to you. To God who made me. Only, if you could see the risk I took before getting this. I’m not a bad person at all,” he added.
“See, it doesn’t matter if we ‘play’ together, it will only be between us,” as he pushed further saying, he already secured a room, and he won’t spend much time.
After so much argument, Laide further pleaded with him, stressing that even while in school during her ND program, she never had sexual relations with any lecturer in exchange for marks.
For her, it might be difficult to engage in such an act now that she already had finished the first half of the program.
But Akande went on with his persuasion, especially how he would remain useful to her in times of need. However, he noted that Laidewould still have to pay the N2,000 sum and yet have his way.
When it became crystal clear that she would not budge, he then blamed her for the extra cost incurred to fuel his car to the venue. Then, he jerked up the sum to N5,000.
When Laide stood up to make calls to raise the money, he queried her for making the calls but she explained that she had to contact someone who will bring the N5,000 over.
At this point, Akande started getting suspicious. Sadly, the police operatives Laide had earlier informed, were yet to arrive.
Eventually, he dropped the letter and left.
When Akande was contacted for his own side of the story, he denied the accusation and claimed that he had never demanded sex from any student.
In his words, he said, “Yes, I know her but I did not have anything with her,”
“I asked her to come and meet me at the bar where I normally relax to give her the form free without collecting any money,” he responded to a question on whether or not there was a meeting between him and the lady.
“So please the issue has been resolved and I am no longer working there (the IT office).”
Several attempts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the Institution, Soladoye Adewole have proven futile because he did not respond to calls made to his mobile phone. A text message sent to him for clarifications on the issue was delivered but never responded.
