Sex-for-mark: Court jails AAU students, vindicates lecturer
A magistrate’s court in Ekpoma, Edo State where two former students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU) were arraigned in August, 2012, on eight counts charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, stealing, unlawful detention and frivolous petition, has convicted the AAU students and further vindicated the lecturer.
The former students were sentenced to one and two years’ imprisonment, for unlawful detention of a former lecturer of the university, following the 2010 video, which went viral on the Internet, and showed the lecturer Dr. Peter Otubu, being stripped by Judith in a female hostel located near the university at Ekpoma.
The former lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, was accused of allegedly attempting to have sex with her in exchange for a pass mark in a course, as Otubu was also seen in the video being compelled to sign a N100,000 cheque in favour of “Judith Okosun” in order to secure his release.
Chief magistrate, Maltilda Iluobe, who maintained that Juliet had admitted in her evidence before the court that she had the key to the apartment where Judith unlawfully assaulted Otubu, sentenced the duo to one and two years’ imprisonment respectively with an option of N20,000 fine. The judge also expressed displeasure over the conduct of the former lecturer for going to the room of his student, an action which she said affected his career.
An elated Otubu said the judgment has vindicated him, adding that, “the principal suspect, Ivie Okosun, and her sister, Juliet have been jailed. Whether they were given an option of fine or not. I am satisfied, as the judgment has proved my innocence. To correct the erroneous impression, I was never dismissed from AAU, my appointment was terminated due to the video that was posted on the internet.”
Responding, Counsel to the defendants, Mr. Olayowola Afolabi, aligned with the judgement on sexual promiscuity as “a show of shame”, but however pleaded with the court for clemency for the convicted persons on ground that they were first offenders, stressing that the second convict is a nursing mother.