Investigation Launched Into Alleged Sexual Harassment at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi
The spouse of a female student from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi has taken action to escalate his petition regarding allegations of harassment against a university lecturer. Ja’afaru Buba claims that the lecturer, Usman Mohammed, harassed his wife after she refused to engage in any illicit relationship with him.
Buba addressed a group of reporters in Bauchi, revealing that his attorneys had submitted a formal complaint to the Vice Chancellor of ATBU, as well as notifying the Head of the Chemical Engineering Department and the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission in Bauchi.
Following the submission of the petition, the university administration assured Buba that they would investigate the allegations thoroughly to seek justice for the matter at hand.
In an unusual development, the lecturer at the center of the allegations, Usman Mohammed, has filed a lawsuit in the Bauchi State High Court, wherein he accuses Buba of defamation of character.
According to details from the petition filed by the complainant’s lawyer, Barrister Mohammed Sani, the document states, “We hereby forward this complaint for and on behalf of our client, Kamila Rufa’i, a student in the Chemical Engineering Department at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, against Usman Mohammed, a lecturer within the same department.”
The petition continues, “Our client is pursuing a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, where Usman Mohammed has taught her courses such as CHE 635 (polymer processing and its application) and currently CHE 656 (Fluidisation). However, the lecturer allegedly took advantage of his position to sexually harass our client.”
The complaint details that Usman Mohammed allegedly made numerous invitations for her to visit his office and sent inappropriate romantic messages via WhatsApp, even though he was aware that Kamila Rufa’i is married. It is noted that she consistently refused to comply with his requests.
Furthermore, the petition alleges that upon facing rejection, Usman Mohammed threatened Kamila’s friends and informed her directly that he would deliberately fail her in her examinations, jeopardizing her graduation prospects as an M.Eng. student due to her refusal to engage with him sexually.
The petition contends that Usman Mohammed’s actions are in violation of university guidelines and ethical standards. Barrister Sani urged ATBU’s management to carry out a discreet investigation and to impose appropriate sanctions against the lecturer to deter similar conduct in the future.
Supporting the complaint, Barrister Sani has provided WhatsApp messages exchanged between Dr. Usman Mohammed Aliyu and the complainant as evidence for the investigation process.
When approached for comments, Zailani Bappah, the Public Relations Officer of the university, stated he was unaware of the petition but would verify with the university management.
In response to the allegations, Usman Mohammed denied any wrongdoing, stating briefly that the matter is currently before the court, and thus he would not provide further comments.
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