An audio recording made by a student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife allegedly captured Olabisi Olaleye, a lecturer in the department of International Relations, threatening to fail her in his course. The student, Motunrayo Afolayan, accused him of making such threats because she refused to have a sexual relationship with him.
Afolayan claims that she was initially failed in the course ‘Diplomacy’ IRS 305, which Olaleye teaches along with a female lecturer, Omolara Akinyemi, during the 2017/2018 academic year when she was in her third year. She then registered for the course again during the 2018/2019 academic session, but allegedly faced repeated threats from the lecturer, warning her that she would fail unless she agreed to his demands.
Afolayan sought help from Sunday Omotuyi, a lecturer in her department, but he reportedly declined to intervene, citing a past negative experience with Olaleye. The student then approached a lecturer in the faculty of law who advised her to report the matter to the university authorities.
Upon being questioned by other lecturers, Afolayan was forced to play the audio recording of Olaleye’s threats, which she had initially kept in secret to avoid public humiliation. The recording allegedly contains Olaleye’s words in Yoruba, where he promised that she would fail the course unless she consented to his advances.
After the university authorities were made aware of the situation, a panel was formed to investigate the matter. Afolayan and other female students testified before the panel, corroborating her claims.
Despite denying the allegations in interviews and written responses to queries from the university, Olaleye has been advised to await the university’s verdict before making any further statements.
In his defense, Olaleye stated that he did not know Afolayan until the timetable issue arose and claimed that he could not recall any interaction with her other than advising her to focus on her 400-level course first before joining his class. He also attributed the delay in releasing Afolayan’s result to his colleague, who he claimed was handling her accreditation issue.
These allegations have drawn attention to Olaleye’s academic history, including his prolonged pursuit of a doctorate degree, raising questions about his credibility and conduct at the university.
