#SexForGrades allegation: Lady deletes tweet after lecturer threatens law suit

A lady who made a tweet alleging that a university lecturer was one of those involved in demanding sex for grades has deleted it after the lecturer threatened to sue her.

Precious Okhimamhe had taken to her twitter account in the heat of the trending sex-for-marks scandal to name Fassy Yusuf as one of the perpetrators on Monday.

Dr Yusuf, a lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in turn told the social media user to provide evidence of the sex-for-grades allegation she levelled against him.

A BBC documentary since Monday had stirred conversation around the subject after undercover female journalists recorded four university teachers attempting to use their positions to take sexual advantage of them.

Dr Boniface Igbeneghu and Dr Samuel Oladipo, both featured in the video had since been suspended by the UNILAG management. The school had also set up a panel to investigate the scandal.

Ms Okhimamhe appeared to be joining the trend of students naming and shaming other lecturers known to engage in sexual assault on campuses on Monday, 7th October.

Using the twitter handle @pretyprexy, Ohkimamhe had said her friend listed Yusuf along with three others as a sexual predator.

“A friend of mine who graduated from Unilag just told me some names. Dr Fassy Yusuf . . . Your time is coming. #SexForGrades,’” she wrote in the tweet which went viral.

But in a letter dated Wednesday, 9th October, Yusuf gave Okhimamhe seven days to prove this allegation or face legal action.

“In the last forty or so hours, I have been inundated with phone calls, messages and visits in respect to a libellous, scandalous and disparaging statement you posted on your Twitter handle on Monday, 07 October 2019 at about 1.13p.m and circulated globally,” the letter read.

“As a lawyer, a former public officer, a notary public, a justice of the peace, a community and religious leader, an international scholar and professional, a newspaper columnist, a social crusader, a businessman, among others, your reckless, irresponsible, disconcerting, scandalous and libellous post has lowered and continues to lower my person in the estimation of right-thinking members of the society, especially among my clients, friends, colleagues, associates mentees and students; has caused and is causing me to be shunned, and avoided; and it has exposed and continues to expose me to odium, hatred, contempt and ridicule. Indeed, your false statement cum post has conveyed an imputation on me, disparaged and injured me in my office, profession, calling, business, etc.

“Elementary law requires that “he/she who asserts, must prove”; the onus is therefore, on you to prove and justify the libel against me.

“Consequently, I HEREBY GIVE YOU SEVEN (7) DAYS’ NOTICE TO PROVE AND OR JUSTIFY YOUR LIBEL against me failing which I shall be constrained to institute legal action for the purposes of making you face the consequences of your irresponsible action, restoring my dignity, and claiming damages thereof.”

Okhimamhe, a digital marketer with Farmcrowdy, is yet to either apologise or provide any proof to her claims.

What is left to be seen is the action Yusuf who is also the Vice President of the UNILAG Alumni Association would take after seven days.