Seven Years After, Court Exonerates AAU Don Of Sex-for-grade Allegations, Jailed Two Fmr Students

A magistrate court sitting at Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area in Edo state, has jailed Judith Ivie Okosun and Juliet Obehi Okosun both graduates of the state-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU).

Chief Magistrate Maltina Iluobe in charge sheet No: MEK/18C/2012, committed Juliet Obehi Okosun to two years imprisonment for unlawful detention and indecent assault of the University don.

The court also convicted Judith Ivie Okosun for one year jail term for unlawful detention of the plaintiff in connection with sexual harassment scandal, which precipitated to the dismissal of Dr. Peter Otubu, lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic of the Institution, over seven years ago.

The first and second accused persons were convicted with N20, 000 with an option of fine on count 4, which bothers on indecent assault, while her sister, Juliet Obehi Okosun (Second accused person) was found guilty on count 8, for unlawful detention of the University don.

The court recalled that Juliet Obehi Okosun (second accused person) had admitted in her evidence before the court that she had the key to the apartment where (first accused person), Judith Ivie Okosun, unlawfully assaulted Dr. Otubu who was held hostage and stripped naked at their one room apartment in a private female hostel near the University on 17th July 2010.

In count 8, the court, ruled that the failure of Juliet Obehi Okosun to open the door of their living room and released Dr. Otubu who was made to raise the sum of N100, 000. 00 (One Hundred Naira) cheque in favour of Judith Ivie Okosun for the inhuman treatment against Dr. Otubu under the same circumstance.

The court specifically established that in the recorded video clips which was also posted in the internet by one Oziengbe, now at large, that the second accused person had told the court that she was in possession of the key to their apartment where Dr. Otubu was held, making her liable for conviction with an option of fine of N30, 000 for unlawful detention.

Chief Magistrate Maltina Iluobe, however, discharged and acquitted Judith Ivie Okosun (24) and Juliet Obehi Okosun (22) who were both undergraduate students at AAU at the time on count 1, 5, and 6 which bothers on conspiracy and stealing and frivolous petition against Dr. Otubu, following the failure or the prosecution to prove to the court.

It also discharged and acquitted the 3rd to 7th accused persons, Esther Ogbeide (21), Samson Ogbeide (32), Igbudu Samuel (42), Ojeabulu Eghosa Clement (37) and Aruya Ohis Williams (24) for lack of substantial evidence.

The court revealed that the failure of Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) to provide call logs of conversations between the first Principal Witness (Dr. Peter Otubu) and some of the accused persons as required by the prosecution to prove his case.

The court particularly frowned at Dr. Peter Otubu’s conduct who it said “suffered from the sins of immorality to have gone to the room of his student which resulted in the show of shame, humiliation and torture which left his career in ruins.

“This court is of the view that there is a very strong conspiracy and set up against the Dr. Peter Otubu, even though the defense Counsel had submitted before the court that suspicion does not amount to conspiracy,

The court also held that “throughout the length and breadth of the case, there is a thread which runs through criminal procedure of the case against the accused persons.

“Therefore, I hold that count 1, has not been proved as required by law.

“For count 2, the the first and second accused persons had testified that, the allegations were communicated to the school authorities about the show of shame.

“I believe them in this because judging from the position of the the Principal Witness (PW1) and the first accused person, the whole truth was found and doctored, such situation is highly embarrassing to him as a lecturer, his family and the University Community”, the court said.

The court also confirmed that the Institution had launched an internal preliminary investigation into sexual harassment saga between Judith Ivie Okosun and Dr. Otubu who was her elective course of the lecturer in exchange to lay with her which may not have prevented her from graduating except her carryover courses had piled.

Responding, Counsel to the defendants, Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, concurred with the judgement on sexual promiscuity of PW1 as “a show of shame”.

But he pleaded with the court for clemency for the convicted persons on ground that they were first offenders, stressing that the second convict is a nursing mother.

“The first accused person my lord, is about to get married. I had to plead with the husband to allow her to come to court.

“My lord, they first and second accused persons were first offenders.

According to him, “my lord also has the option to caution the convicts in view of the circumstances. My lord is a woman who knows where the shoe is punching us.

“So my lord, I am pleading. Literarily, my lord, I am on my knees.

“It is a show of shame for the lecturer to come to the house of his student”.

Haven held to submission of Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, Counsel to the defendants, the court, handed down an option of fine to the first and second accused persons in lieu of imprisonment.

Highly elated Dr. Peter Otubu, said the judgement has vindicated him, clarifying however that he was not sacked but dismissed by management of AAU to enable him prove his innocence.

“I am okay. The Principal suspect, Ivie Okosun and her sister, Juliet Obehi Okosun have been jailed. Whether they were given an option of fine or not.

“To correct the erroneous impression, I was never dismissed from AAU, my appointment was terminated based on the video that was posted on the Internet”, he said.

Julius Eras-Olabowu