Sex For Marks! Professor Richard Akindele’s two-year jail term ‘a little too harsh’, says human rights activist

A human rights activist, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, has described as harsh the two years jail term slammed on a former lecturer of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Richard Iyiola Akindele, for demanding sex from a student to upgrade her marks.

Prof. Akindele had pleaded guilty and entered a plea bargain. But Justice Maureen Onyekenu of a Federal High Court sitting in Osun rejected his plea noting that suspended sentence and plea bargain should be premised on public interest.

She, therefore, sentenced Prof. Akindele to two years in prison to be served at Ilesa Prison.

Reacting to Justice Onyekenu’s ruling, Onwubiko had taken to Facebook to express his chagrin at the ruling.

Onwubiko, who described himself as the National Coordinator/ Founding Chairman at Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria [Huriwa] on Facebook, on explained that “noncustodial sentence with a heavy fine are sufficient since the accuse didn’t waste the time of the Court”.

He further stated that while a Bayelsa state governor who stole billions reached a plea bargain with the EFCC and walked away with a light sentence.

He wrote;

Two years for a professor who pleaded guilty to sexual harassment of a student is harsh. Non-custodial sentence with heavy fine are sufficient since the accuse didn’t waste the time of the Court and therefore didn’t occasion huge prosecutorial costs for the State. Moreover, he has previously been punished for the same offence by his employers. Does this not amount to double jeopardy which in itself is a travesty of justice? Or is this an arrangement to actually make him have a soft landing on appeal?

For instance, former Bayelsa state gov who stole billions reached a plea bargain with the EFCC and he walked away with a light sentence even when corruption leads to fatalities. This Professor who couldn’t overcome his concupiscence and temptations of the flesh didn’t commit an offence that resulted in fatalities. This is not to say that his offence is light. I wish he can mount a robust challenge against this extremely harsh and emotional sanction. Again, this is not to underestimate the weight of the offence. Not at all.

Professor, when you come out of prison I’m sure you would have learnt good lessons. But please the prison authority should activate suicide watch on him.

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