ATBU lecturer taken to court over alleged sexual harassment of student

A lecturer from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, is facing legal action following allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a married female postgraduate student.

The allegations, brought forward by the student’s husband, Alhaji Ja’afaru Buba, through a lawyer, claim that the lecturer made repeated unwelcome sexual advances, harassed the student, and threatened her academic success.

Evidence reportedly includes WhatsApp messages where the lecturer allegedly invited the student to his office, requested a hug, and suggested private meetings outside working hours.

The student’s legal representative, Mohammed Sani, stated: “Our client, a Master’s student in Chemical Engineering, was taught by the lecturer in courses such as CHE 635 (Polymer Processing) and CHE 656 (Fluidisation).

“The lecturer allegedly exploited the student-lecturer relationship to harass our client sexually, repeatedly inviting her to his office and sending inappropriate messages, despite knowing she is married.”

The petition also alleges that the lecturer threatened to fail the student in examinations and warned her friends she would not graduate if she rejected his advances.

The counsel urged ATBU management to investigate the matter and take disciplinary measures in line with university regulations to prevent future misconduct.

Meanwhile, the lecturer has filed a defamation suit at the Bauchi State High Court, seeking to clear his name.

The university’s Public Relations Officer, Zailani Bappah, stated that he was unaware of the matter but would confirm with management, though no response had been received as of the time of inquiry.

The accused lecturer declined further comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings.