A former part-time lecturer at what is now Lagos State University of Education has been handed a life sentence after being found guilty of raping a student on campus in 2021. Kolawole Muyiwa, who taught at the institution when it was still known as Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, received the maximum sentence from Justice Rahman Oshodi at an Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court.
“As a part-time lecturer, you occupied the position of trust and authority which you abused,” Justice Oshodi declared during sentencing.
“The victim was a student at the institution where you taught.”
The court heard how the attack took place on October 11, 2021, when the student arrived early for a departmental meeting. According to her testimony, Muyiwa initially asked her to buy him food, then changed his request to helping mark examination scripts after leading her to his office.
“He suddenly pushed me down the plastic chair I was sitting on, overpowered me and forcefully removed my trousers,” the survivor testified.
“I was menstruating at the time, and he removed my sanitary pad and had forceful sexual intercourse with me.”
She told the court that after the assault, Muyiwa coldly remarked: “What you refused to give me willingly, I have taken by force.”
Muyiwa, who had pleaded not guilty when arraigned in October 2023, offered a dramatically different version of events. He claimed the encounter was consensual and that he had only asked the student for a “casual” relationship – “to be together, to talk, relate with one another, but not for sexual relationship.”
His defense attorney urged the court to discharge and acquit Muyiwa, calling the survivor’s testimony “fictitious” and arguing there was no corroborating evidence. Justice Oshodi rejected these arguments, finding that the survivor’s account was corroborated by testimonies from both a legal practitioner and the investigating police officer.
Despite noting that Muyiwa was a first-time offender with no criminal record and had three children, the judge determined that the gravity of the offense warranted the maximum penalty.
“Section 260 of the criminal law describes life imprisonment punishment for your crime, and that is what I shall sentence you to,” the judge concluded. “You shall also be registered as a sex offender.”
