Ajayi Crowther University, a faith-based institution, is facing criticism for reinstating Dr. Adeyinka Adeoye, a lecturer previously found guilty of sexually assaulting two students, and appointing him as the head of the English department.
According to a source, the controversy began in 2022 when a female student from the Department of English accused Dr. Adeoye of sexual assault, followed by a second student making a similar claim. A disciplinary panel was formed, and Dr Adeoye was found guilty, leading many to believe he would be dismissed. However, the university chose a different course of action.
After the assaulted students graduated in 2022, the university rehired the accused individual to work at its radio station. By 2023, he was reinstated to the same department, allowing him to continue his career without obstruction. Not only did the institution welcome him back, but they are also in the process of promoting him to associate professor. He has now been appointed as the new head of the English department, where some staff members who had testified against him during the panel still work.
The university, which is affiliated with the Anglican Communion and claims to be faith-based, waited until the students graduated before reinstating him. When approached for comment, the panel members declined to speak and referred all inquiries to the college spokesperson.
Students of Ajayi Crowther University Once Demanded Justice for a Rape Incident
In May, students at Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo State urged the administration to address the distressing case of a penultimate-year history student who was raped by two vigilantes. Some students reported that, following the incident, the university attempted to suppress information and silence student voices.
One student recounted that the vigilantes demanded N5,000 from her boyfriend when they spotted them together, but he only offered N1,500, prompting the vigilantes to send him away. After he left, the female student was seen fleeing to her hostel in dishevelled clothing.
Later that evening, the university management posted on Facebook expressing their shock regarding the alleged rape incident, which occurred on the night of May 9, 2024, involving two members of their vigilance group. In their statement, the administration confirmed that they had promptly handed over the accused to the police and established an internal panel to investigate the allegation.