At least 60 lecturers across Nigerian universities and polytechnics have been suspended, dismissed, or prosecuted for sexual harassment and misconduct over the past five years, according to an analysis of publicly announced disciplinary actions between 2021 and July 2026. Despite institutions maintaining zero-tolerance policies, reports of lecturers demanding sex from students continue to emerge, raising questions about enforcement mechanisms and the effectiveness of administrative sanctions without criminal prosecution.
The most recent cases occurred on July 27, 2026, when Paul University in Awka, Anambra State, suspended practical biology technologist Cornelius Eze over serious sexual misconduct allegations following a complaint lodged on July 14. A week earlier, Kogi State Polytechnic terminated lecturer Mukhtar Muhammed's appointment after allegations he sexually molested a student. The institution cited efforts to maintain discipline and protect students from abuse.
Pattern of Institutional Response
Kogi State Polytechnic wasn't acting for the first time. In December 2025, the polytechnic terminated lecturer Abutu Thompson's appointment after he was found guilty of sexually harassing and victimizing a female student in the Computer Science Department. The Lagos State University of Science and Technology dismissed three lecturers in April 2025 following disciplinary proceedings over sexual harassment allegations. Barely 10 days later, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi dismissed senior lecturer Dr. Usman Aliyu after finding him guilty of sexually harassing a married postgraduate student, demanding sexual favors and threatening her academic progress.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, suspended lecturer Mfonobong Udoudom indefinitely in April 2024 after a viral video allegedly showed him sexually harassing a female student. In May 2024, a lecturer at Federal University, Lokoja, faced investigation after allegedly being caught attempting to sexually harass a female student through repeated inappropriate messages. Lagos State University dismissed two lecturers in July 2025 after its Governing Council found them guilty of offenses including sexual harassment, inhumane treatment of students and financial misconduct.
The disciplinary wave began in earnest in 2021. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, suspended Dr. Chigozie Odum from the Department of Archaeology and Tourism in February 2021 over sexual misconduct allegations. Four months later, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, suspended a lecturer in its Media and Theatre Arts Department over similar allegations. The University of Lagos dismissed two lecturers in June 2021 for sexual misconduct, while the University of Port Harcourt dismissed a lecturer from the Foreign Languages and Literature Department in August 2021.
Scale of the Problem
Akwa Ibom State University's Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nse Essien, disclosed in June 2021 that the institution had sacked about 14 lecturers for engaging in sexual molestation and abuse of female students. Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, dismissed two lecturers from its Nutrition/Dietetics and General Studies Departments in October 2021 over sexual misconduct. Ignatius Ajuru University of Education dismissed a lecturer in its Sociology Department for impregnating a female student, while Kwara State University, Malete, sacked a lecturer in December 2021 for sexually harassing a student in Pure and Applied Sciences.
The sanctions continued through 2022. Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Rivers State dismissed a lecturer in January over allegations of sexually harassing a female student. Three months later, Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife launched an investigation into sexual harassment allegations involving a professor in its Linguistics and African Studies Department, bringing to two the number of professors at the institution facing similar allegations within a few years. In June 2022, the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Abdul-Raheed Na'allah, announced the dismissal of two professors over sexual misconduct, describing the decision as part of efforts to uphold ethical standards.
Criminal Proceedings Remain Rare
In 2023, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission arraigned Tai Solarin University of Education lecturer Dr. Balogun Olaniran over allegations he demanded sexual gratification from a female student to alter her examination results. Ambrose Alli University dismissed a lecturer in May 2023 after its Staff Disciplinary Committee found him guilty of misconduct. According to Vice-Chancellor Prof. Asomwan Adagbonyin, the lecturer admitted making advances to the student and visited her church to seek forgiveness. Na'allah disclosed in July 2023 that the University of Abuja had dismissed two additional lecturers over sexual harassment allegations.
The University of Calabar suspended its then Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, in August 2023 over sexual harassment allegations. The case became one of the country's most prominent campus sexual harassment cases after criminal proceedings were initiated against him. Barely a month later, the University of Lagos suspended lecturer Kadri Babalola over allegations he raped a 21-year-old student. In October 2023, the Federal College of Forestry in Plateau State suspended four lecturers over allegations of sexually harassing female students.
Survey Data Reveals Systemic Issues
A 2018 survey by the World Bank Group found that about 70 percent of female graduates from tertiary institutions in Nigeria experienced one form of sexual harassment during their academic journey. The report identified lecturers and fellow students as the major perpetrators. Many victims said they failed to report incidents because of fear of victimization, intimidation, academic repercussions and lack of confidence in existing reporting systems.
A University of Lagos student recently approached the court after accusing a lecturer of sexual harassment, reigniting conversations about access to justice for survivors and the responsibility of institutions to protect complainants from retaliation. In 2025, lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced a bill seeking stiffer punishment for lecturers found guilty of sexually harassing students. The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen existing legal provisions by prescribing tougher penalties for offenders while compelling tertiary institutions to establish transparent reporting and investigative procedures.
Education rights advocates said that while universities have become more willing to dismiss offending lecturers, criminal prosecution remains uncommon, allowing many perpetrators to escape with only administrative sanctions. Reform Education Nigeria's Director of Programmes, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, said: "The President signing the bill will be a game-changer. We need to make schools safe for our students. The most unfortunate part of the issue is that some of these students, even when harassed, are scared to come out in the open for fear of victimisation and other issues."
Nafisa Atiku-Adejuwon, former Programme Manager for Gender Justice at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Foundation, said: "The response system has to be survivor-centred and holistic; mental and physical health concerns must be taken seriously. The response system shouldn't be created to make the university look good; it should be to take care of the survivors." She added that universities must build trust with students by guaranteeing confidentiality, protecting complainants from retaliation and ensuring allegations are investigated promptly and transparently.
Why This Matters:
The dismissal of 60 lecturers over five years demonstrates institutional accountability, but the gap between administrative sanctions and criminal prosecution reveals a critical weakness in Nigeria's rule of law framework. When perpetrators face only job loss rather than criminal penalties, deterrence remains limited and victims are denied full justice. The 2018 World Bank survey showing 70 percent of female graduates experienced harassment points to a systemic failure that administrative measures alone can't fix. The proposed 2025 legislation represents an opportunity to strengthen legal consequences and compel transparent reporting procedures, shifting responsibility from individual institutions to a unified legal standard. Without criminal prosecution becoming the norm rather than the exception, universities will continue managing a problem that requires legal resolution. The fiscal and reputational costs to institutions—and the human cost to students—demand a framework where misconduct triggers both institutional and criminal accountability.