A 20-year-old undergraduate of the University of Lagos on Wednesday told a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja that a senior lecturer at the institution allegedly sexually assaulted her in his office at the Akoka campus.
The student, who testified as the first prosecution witness before Justice Oyindamola Ogala, gave her account during the ongoing trial of the lecturer, Samuel Obinna Ojogbo, who is facing charges of rape and sexual assault instituted by the Lagos State Government.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, A.O. Azeez, the witness recounted that her encounter with the defendant began on August 21, 2025, when he approached her during an examination and asked her to visit his office afterwards.
She told the court that her initial attempts to meet him were unsuccessful, but on the following day, August 22, after completing another examination, she met him near her faculty and was invited to his office.
The witness described the office as secluded and located underground. She stated that while they were conversing, two other students briefly entered but were asked to leave by the lecturer.
According to her testimony, shortly after the interruption, the defendant allegedly shut the door and made unwanted advances towards her, which she said resulted in a sexual assault.
She further alleged that after the incident, the lecturer made promises relating to her academic progress and obtained her contact details.
The witness told the court that she left the office visibly distressed and immediately confided in a friend, after which steps were taken to report the incident to authorities within the university.
She said the matter was first reported to a lecturer in her department, who contacted her relative, also an academic, before they escalated the complaint to the Head of Department.
According to her, the allegation was initially met with scepticism at the departmental level, prompting her and her uncle to pursue the matter further through the institution’s complaint channels.
She added that she was later taken to the university’s medical centre and subsequently referred to external agencies, including the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, before the case was reported to the police.
The witness said the matter was eventually transferred to the Gender Unit of the police for investigation, adding that there were later attempts by individuals connected to the defendant to initiate a settlement.
The defendant, however, has denied the allegation.
Justice Ogala adjourned the case until April 27, 2026, for cross-examination of the witness.