A professor at Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State (FUOYE), Adewole Atere, has allegedly impregnated a teenage student, Precious Azuka, of the Department of Criminology.
Prof. Atere is said to be a former head of the department. He was the collation officer for Etsako West Local Government Area during the Edo State governorship election in 2016 which Godwin Obaseki won.
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According to Premium Times, Azuka met the professor in her first semester at the university in March 2017.
Azuka was 16 at the time of the meeting.
Atere’s romantic interest for the teenage student was conveyed to her by one of his subordinates in the department, Chinedu Abrifor.
The online newspapers said that audio and documentary records of evidence show that Dr Abrifor told Azuka at the time that she was “mature enough” for Atere.
Azuka took in less than two months into the relationship.
She told a committee set up by the acting Dean of Students’ Affairs at the time, E.O Adeyemi, that after she unsuccessfully attempted to get rid of the pregnancy herself, she involved a friend called Priscilla who took her to an unnamed laboratory official at Oye Ekiti General Hospital.
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“The laboratory official introduced me to Dr. Dada who eventually helped me out on Wednesday, July 26,” Azuka said.
The teenager had the foetus removed on July 27.
The university’s cleaners found the foetus wrapped in a cellophane bag while cleaning the hostel.
Azuka was found in pains in her hostel on that day and taken to the university’s clinic. She was discharged the following day, July 28, 2017.
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An Ado-Ekiti-based legal practitioner, Olaolu Ayodele, filed a petition on the incident to Adeyemi who launched a fact-finding committee.
The parties involved were then investigated by the committee which learnt that Azuka’s boyfriend, Kayode Fasanya, whom she began dating in January 2017, had broken the relationship when he found out of the professor’s interest on Azuka.
Prof Atere resigned his appointment immediately the matter became messy. He was offered another appointment at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.
Vice-Chancellor of FUOYE, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, told Premium Times by telephone that Prof Atere could not be charged because he had left the service of FUOYE.
The VC said FUOYE’s law at the time permitted resignation without notice.
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“I am not aware of any report by any committee set up by any dean. I have told you why we could not act. And if I may ask, why are you just bringing up this issue at this time? This matter happened two years ago now,” Prof. Soremekun said.
When contacted, Atere denied involvement in the matter.
Azuka, however, insisted that the professor was responsible for the pregnancy, adding that she had got back with her boyfriend.
