Journalist David Hundeyin has accused Oxford University’s student newspaper Cherwell of refusing to acknowledge his response to allegations against him in its report.
The newspaper had reported how filmmaker Onyeka Nwelue was stripped of his academic visitor status at Oxford and Cambridge over his fake professorship claims.
It said a probe into Nwelue’s conduct was launched after Oxford students complained about his behaviour at a book launch in January where he hosted Hundeyin.
The journalist was accused of making misogynistic remarks at the event which students were allegedly asked to pay £20 to attend instead of for free.
On March 1, the newspaper via email asked for comments from Hundeyin on allegations that he made misogynistic comments at the event and that Cambridge University ended its association with him as a holder of the James Currey Fellowship.
Hundeyin, who published on Twitter both the newspaper’s request for comments and his response, explained that the allegations were not true. He said Cambridge University did not terminate his fellowship as Nwelue did not ask for permission before publishing a video he took of him and two persons at the university’s Centre of African Studies.
The journalist, who has been involved in several documentaries one of which involved President-elect Bola Tinubu, alleged that one Professor Miles Lamar who has ties to Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai gave the newspaper the information. Hundeyin has also written a critical story on El-Rufai.
Reacting publicly to the report published by Cherwell, Hundeyin tweeted on Friday, “You write a story with an accusation, and reach out for confirmation or rebuttal.
“He provides a solid rebuttal with written, letter-headed evidence. You then run the story with the accusation anyway, and refuse to acknowledge what he showed you. Oxford’s brightest and best.”
