Fired LASU Dean Accused of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct – Victims Speak

The Lagos State University (LASU) Governing Council has approved the dismissal of Professor Olatunji Tajudeen Fasasi Abanikannada, the Dean of the School of Agriculture, Epe Campus, following a 143rd Statutory Meeting held on Thursday, July 3rd, 2025. The dismissal, effective immediately, stems from a series of allegations, including inhumane treatment of students and sexual harassment, among others.

The Council’s decision to uphold the recommendations of the Joint Council-Senate Disciplinary Committee came after a thorough review of the accusations against Professor Abanikannada.

Key among the allegations leading to his dismissal was the reported inhumane treatment of 400-level students at the School of Agriculture. Professor Abanikannada was found to have subjected these students to gruelling farm labour from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. without adequate breaks, food, or water. This conduct reportedly occurred even under a torrential rainfall that lasted for over an hour, an action deemed harmful to the well-being of the University community.

The Professor was also accused of sexual harassment involving female students within the same school.

The disciplinary committee also found him culpable of subjecting both staff members and students to emotional and physical trauma. This was reportedly achieved through the use of threats, curses, derogatory utterances, and profane expletives, behaviour deemed unbecoming of a public officer of the University.

Adding to the list of offences, Professor Abanikannada was also dismissed for the unauthorised collection of money from staff and students of the School of Agriculture, a clear contravention of the University’s established regulations.

These acts, collectively categorised as “Serious Misconduct,” are in direct violation of the University’s Conditions of Service for Senior Staff (2017, as amended).

The University Management has reiterated its commitment to upholding the integrity of academic and administrative standards within the institution.

In a related development, Dr Khadeejah Olufunke Kareem-Ibraheem, a Lecturer I and Coordinator in the Department of Animal Sciences, School of Agriculture, Epe Campus, was also dismissed for dereliction of duty and failure to remit over ₦10.6 million from farm produce sales to the University, instead keeping the funds in her account.

The dismissals of both Professor Abanikannada and Dr Kareem-Ibraheem underscore LASU’s resolve to address serious breaches of conduct and maintain a conducive and ethical learning environment.

VICTIMS EXPERIENCES

Some of the victims of the disgraced Professor anonymously shared their encounter with West Africa Weekly. According to Adeola (not her real name), the Dean of the School of Agriculture started harassing her during her 400-level year.

“Prof. OTF started verbally sexualising me when I was in my 400-level, but he said he had been watching me right from when I came into the school. It started when I lost my brother, and that was the opportunity to talk to me. He always tried to touch me, but I resisted, and he would report to other staff that I was rude to him. I did not understand what he was trying to do, so I always apologised and moved on,” she said.

Adeola said the harassment intensified during their farming year practice, with explicit comments about her body and breasts. She said it got so intense that he once spanked her hips in the presence of coursemates, causing her significant embarrassment.

“During our farming year practice, he’d call me and say nasty things to me, but unfortunately, I couldn’t record any of the encounters for evidence because we were not allowed to have our phones on the farm. He’d say dirty things about my body and breasts, and it was so bad that he knew whenever I was wearing a different bra, which made me so uncomfortable. There was a day he spanked my hips on the farm in the presence of my coursemates; I was so embarrassed.”

She added that “there was a time he sent me to the store, but my friend helped me instead. He was shocked when he saw my friend there; he later told me that if I had gone to the store, he would have done unimaginable things to me, and I would scream, but no one would hear me. He would sometimes ask me to pick up something from the floor so that he could see my breast when I bent to pick it up.”

She told West Africa Weekly that the Professor warned her to avoid being in any confined space alone with him, while allegedly detailing sexual positions he would put her in and added that her resistance would be useless and she must carry his child.

“He always went live on Facebook during our presentations, but he told me after one of the presentations that he didn’t go live because he was filming me; he said he zoomed through and could see that I was wearing a black lacy bra, which was correct, so he did film me. He said he’d send it to his laptop and do different things with the video. He said unthinkable things to me, even in class,” she said.

After rejecting the Dean’s advances towards her, he began to victimise her and threatened to make her fail academically, including her male friends. “He said I was a hoe and into hookups and also promised to mess with my results, which he did. He made my life miserable and uncomfortable, especially during my project. He also ensured that all my male friends suffered because they were my friends, and he probably thought I was having a thing with them.”

Another student, Monica (not her real name), said Professor Abanikannada asked her to be his girlfriend after he walked in on her taking a bath in the female student toilet area. She said he traumatised and failed many students who turned down his advances or those who offended his favourite students.

“He called me one time during my 400-level class, and we were discussing my results. I was on the Sunday morning shift, but I cannot vividly recall what we were discussing, but I can remember the next thing this man said from nowhere was that I’m an ashawo, that my nipples were standing. I was so embarrassed, more so because I was alone with him at that moment.

“Fast forward to my 500-level, and we were sleeping on the farm at that time. On a Saturday morning, my friend and I went to have a bath at the faculty student toilets we were using. We have two toilets, and the only thing that can bring the boys to the girls’ side is when they don’t have water in their toilets,” she told West Africa Weekly. 

“So the other girl I went with entered one of the toilets. And I was there undressed, trying to play music on my phone so that if maybe a guy is coming to fetch water or something will hear the music and know someone was there. I was still on my phone when I heard footsteps approaching, and I asked who that was twice, but the person did not talk.

“So I thought it was just a friend of mine, or perhaps a girl who wanted to scare me. So I didn’t pay attention.” She said suddenly the Dean appeared while she was standing undressed.

Suddenly, the person showed up, and it was Abanikanada. I was embarrassed. He then turned back, but I knew he saw me. When he left, he asked if I was dressed. By that time, I had grabbed my towel. He reentered the toilet and said, ‘You shouldn’t be that careless. I kept wondering what he was looking for around the female students’ toilet.

“Later that night, he sent someone to call me. When I went, he said he wanted to date me and asked what it would cost him. I was shocked and said it wouldn’t cost him anything, and I politely turned him down. He asked me why I didn’t want to date him, and I said I had a boyfriend. He said that was a valid reason because he thought I turned him down because of his age.

“The next day, which was a Sunday, I saw him, greeted him, and then walked away. He called me back and asked how long we had discussed last night. I said, I can’t remember, sir. Then he said 48 minutes. He said I should have come and thanked him for that long conversation we had. There I was thinking he wanted to apologise,” she said.

She said the Dean “traumatised us, and there are some students whose results he tampered with because they refused to date him. He also had favourite students, who, if anyone offended them, he would punish by giving them extra work, failing them, or something similar.”

Sadly, some students have had to withdraw from the department owing to the intensity of Professor Abanikannada’s abuse, harassment and victimisation. The students are relieved that the Professor has been dismissed and hope that they never have a Dean like Professor Abanikannada.

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Kangmwa Gofwen

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