I wanted to commit suicide in police detention – Teacher arraigned for sexual assault

A teacher who works in the Lagos State Civil Service, Ajayi Akintunde, has narrated how he almost committed suicide while in police detention after one of his female students accused him of forcefully making her perform oral sex on him.

Our source had on March 27, 2019, published the story of an 18-year-old female student, Mary (not real name), of Fazir-I-Omar Senior High School in Iwaya area of Yaba, Lagos State, alleging that Akintunde made her perform oral sex on him in order to pass his subject.

The publication titled, ‘My teacher forced me to perform oral sex for marks –Lagos schoolgirl,’ detailed how Mary, an 18-year-old Abia State indigene who lived in Makoko, said she succumbed to pressure to perform oral sex twice on Akintunde, who taught Mathematics in the school.

After the story was published, the Lagos State Police arrested the suspect, who was arraigned on April 4 at the Samuel Ilori Court, Ogba, Lagos.

Delivering her judgment, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs YO Aje-Afunwa, ruled that there was no prima facie case of “indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault by penetration” against Akintunde – contrary to the prosecution’s complaint.

“The suspect, Ajayi Akintunde, is hereby accordingly discharged,” Aje-Afunwa ruled.

After the ruling, Akintunde, learnt to have initially been suspended by the state Ministry of Education, was redeployed to another school.

Speaking to our correspondent, Akintunde said he almost committed suicide while in custody prior to the June 13 ruling.

“I thank God that despite all the accusations, the truth came out. I also thank God because my family and friends, church members, neighbours and most especially my wife all stood by me.

“During this period, I almost committed suicide. But I will never forget a police officer at Area F Command (Ikeja) who stopped me from doing so. I had asked my wife to buy me sniper, telling her I wanted to kill mosquitoes in the cell.

“My wife believed I truly wanted to kill mosquitoes, but when the police officer overheard our discussion, he ordered my wife not to buy it. ‘You are just about to kill your husband,’ the officer told my wife, who burst into tears. I apologised to her and thanked the police officer,” Akintunde narrated.

The teacher, who said the victim accused him of the act because he was too strict and flogged her on different occasions, said he had since simmered down.

“I am no longer strict unlike before. I have left the aspect of discipline to the school principal and parents. It’s not my job again. I only go to class and teach. Even if a student refuses to write notes, I won’t force them,” he said.