Three students at UNILAG’s medical college accused of sexual assault

Students at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (UNILAG) are embroiled in a string of sexual assault cases.

Anonymous accounts from purported students detailed a few cases on the micro-blogging site X and alleged inaction by the university.

The purported victims used the hashtag “#EndSACultureInCMUL” on Monday and Tuesday, generating media discourse on the matter.

An activist at the varsity tells TheCable that the cases include one between a 200-level Pharmacy male and a 200-level Medicine female in March 2024 and another in late June between ⁠a 300-level male Pharmacy student and their female colleague in 200-level Radiography.

Another cited case is between a 600-level male student of Medicine said to be a serial offender and several females from different levels.

The source tells TheCable that the first case was taken to the university’s student affairs division in March but got a “concrete” response.

It was said that UNILAG’s student body only asked the alleged serial offender at the College of Medicine to pay a meagre ₦5,000 fine.

“The second one happened recently; just last week, and that was what triggered the [public outrage] again,” the source said in a text.

“Of course, it was bound to happen since nothing was done concerning the previous cases. This has also been escalated to the faculty and university management.”

Details about each case are still sketchy as most of the victims refuse to directly engage with the press for fear of university sanctions.

In a reactory statement, the UNILAG management asked the said victims to make official reports at the institution’s student affairs unit.

“The management has seen reports of sexual misconduct among students making the rounds on social media,” the statement partly reads.

“We empathise with victims of these reports and invite them to make official reports to the office of the dean, Student Affairs Division at the University of Lagos’ Akoka campus.

“The management wishes to inform our students, their parents/guardians, and other stakeholders, of the university’s continued firm stance against injustice. Indeed, the University of Lagos has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct and related vices.”

The university management assured that an investigation would be conducted on these sexual misconduct cases in pursuit of justice.

In 2019, some staff members at UNILAG were indicted in a sex-for-grade scandal that prompted internal probes and suspensions.