Alleged Sexual Misconduct: Group Petitions Lagos Governor, Calls For Investigation Of Acting LASPOTECH Rector, Metilelu

Agroup, United Action for Democracy, has petitioned the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over series of alleged sexual misconduct against the Acting Rector of Lagos State Polytechnic, Olumide Metilelu.

Kunle Wizeman Ajayi, General Secretary of UAD, in a letter dated 29 June, 2020, demanded a reopening of investigation into Metilelu’s previous rape allegations and urged the governor not to treat the matter with levity or ignore what may be yet another intent by the Acting Rector to willfully violate another victim.

The letter reads, “Following series of allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr Olumide Metilelu some of which we believe must have come to your notice before now; we call on your good office not to treat with levity or ignore what may be yet another intent by Metilelu to willfully violate another victim who would end up being dejected and stigmatised for the rest of her life.

“The case in point which compelled us to write you this letter pre-emptively and to demand a reopening of investigation into Metilelu’s previous rape allegations had to do with Metilelu’s issuance of a query letter to a woman-subordinate (a computer operator- Mrs Taiwo Dahunsi) why she ‘dared’ to leave the office by 7:00pm in the evening without completing her work even when the work in question was not an urgent one!

“Why would Metilelu demand of a married woman to remain in office with him till 7:00pm and beyond. We wonder why the safety precaution taken by the woman to leave office at the time (7:00pm), especially in this atmosphere of human insecurity should become a subject of query by Mr Metilelu whose sense of responsibility by virtue of his position as the Chief Security Officer of the entire institution demands that his thinking on human safety and security be far ahead of those of his subordinates!

“We believe Mr Metilelu’s sense of judgment was blurred not just by his inability to appreciate his position as the CSO of the entire institution and hence his responsibility for the safety and security of all members of the community, but by his evil scheming to lure Mrs Taiwo Dahunsi into the depth of the night in order to take advantage of her sexually judging by his antecedents.

“This was the case in 2006 with an ND 2 student (name withheld for marital reasons) in the department of Hotel and Catering Management (HMT), where Mr Metilelu was a lecturer. He had requested the poor lady met him at the LASPOTECH Guesthouse, where unknown to the poor lady Metilelu had planned to and indeed raped her. It was the cry for help by the lady that drew the attention of fellow students who rushed to the scene of the incident, rescued her and subsequently took the matter up.”

Ajayi said two individuals, Olaniyan Olanrewaju (then Treasurer of the Departmental Association) with the assistance of then DSM coordinator, Comrade Eko John Nicholas (now DSM coordinator Ogun State), whom are willing to testify, took the matter up and wrote a petition through the then Acting HOD of the Department, Mr Ade Iyiade, to the Director of Students Affairs, Barrister Olasukanmi Longe (now a Chief Lecturer in the school of Liberal Studies) through whom the matter got to the Academic Board.

He said the matter was swept under the carpet while Metilelu remained in the system.

The letter added, “This letting off the hook by the Academic Board had since emboldened Metilelu now to the point of recklessness and impunity. There have been other cases since 2006.

“With Metilelu’s antecedent and this seeming irrational and unjustified query to Mrs Taiwo Dahunsi for being conscious of her own safety and security, it has become urgent to restrain Mr Metilelu from doing further damage to Mrs Taiwo Dahunsi; re-open the 2006 rape case and others against him; and shop for a more credible and disciplined individual as LASPOTECH Rector, rather than an individual with baggage of rape cases, malfeasance and violence hanging around his neck.

“We hereby request that an urgent and timely intervention to contain Metilelu by investigating these allegations in order to prevent another woman from becoming a victim of Metilelu’ sexual recklessness.”