Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Wednesday heard the testimony of a 20-year-old undergraduate of the University of Lagos in an ongoing rape and sexual assault trial involving a lecturer, Dr. Samuel Obinna Ojogbo.
The 53-year-old defendant is standing trial on a two-count charge brought by the Lagos State Government, bordering on alleged rape and sexual assault.
Led in evidence by the state prosecuting counsel, A.O. Azeez, the student told the court that the alleged incident occurred on August 22, 2025, at the university’s Akoka campus.
According to the charge, the lecturer is accused of engaging in sexual intercourse with the student without her consent, an offence punishable under Section 260 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. He is also charged with sexual assault under Section 263(1) of the same law.
In her testimony, the undergraduate recounted her prior interactions with the lecturer, stating that he had invited her to his office after an examination. She noted that previous attempts to meet him were unsuccessful as he was not available.
She further told the court that on the day of the alleged incident, she met the lecturer within the faculty premises after another examination and was asked to wait for him. They later proceeded to his office, which she described as being in a secluded underground location.
While discussing her examination, the witness said two other students briefly entered the office but were asked to leave by the lecturer.
She alleged that shortly after, the lecturer instructed her to shut the door and then behaved inappropriately, leading to the alleged assault.
The student told the court that she reported the incident to a friend and later to another lecturer in her department, as well as university authorities.
She added that the case was escalated through the institution’s complaint channels before being reported to law enforcement authorities. According to her, she underwent medical examinations and made statements to the police, after which the matter was transferred to the gender unit for further investigation.
The court also heard that the defendant denied the allegations when they were raised before departmental authorities.
Justice Ogala adjourned the case to April 27, 2026, for the cross-examination of the prosecution witness.