THE Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the death of Olabode Abimbola Ibikunle, a lecturer at Prince Abubakar Audu University, formerly Kogi State University.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, William Ovye Aya, confirmed the incident to Oga Lecturer on sunday.
Ibikunle, a senior lecturer of the Faculty of Education was said to have died in a hotel room while having sex with a 200-level female student of the institution.
According to reports circulating on social media with images showing the face of the lecturer, Ibikunle allegedly requested a private meeting with the student on July 16 at an undisclosed hotel in Anyigba.
Social media users said that the hotel staff said that the lecturer arrived at the hotel looking enthusiastic and reportedly took two bottles of energy drinks, possibly to boost his performance.
It was claimed that Ibikunle slumped suddenly on the bed with the student in the heat of the moment and became unresponsive.
The police said that the student raised an alarm immediately, prompting hotel staff and management to rush into the room.
“Officers from Ayingba were called immediately, he was taken to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced dead.” Aya said.
He said that the student was arrested by the officers and taken to Station in Anyigba.
“The case has been transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation” he added.
Aya stated that he could not confirm whether Ibikunle consumed energy drinks or the exact circumstances surrounding his death, as the CID is still conducting investigations and an autopsy is underway.
Some students of the institution took to social media to celebrate the incident, describing Ibikunle as one of the strictest and most feared lecturers in the university. They shared memes and sarcastic captions mocking the situation.
Meanwhile, the school authority is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The incident has sparked conversations around sexual misconduct and ethics in Nigeria’s higher institutions, where reports of lecturers engaging in intimate relationships with students are common but rarely addressed.
Oga Lecturer reported that at least 43 lecturers were accused or indicted for sexual harassment between 2018 and 2023.
Students and social media have leverage on the incident to call for renewed calls for stricter enforcement of professional conduct policies and the creation of safer, more accessible reporting channels for students experiencing sexual coercion from academic staff.
