By Ihechi Enyinnaya
Chigozie Jude Odum-a Lecturer in Department of Archaeology and Tourism, University of Nigeria, Nsukka has been arrested by the police for allegedly impregnating a student and going ahead to threaten her life.
He was alleged to have put the female student, Onah Chinyere in a family way after coercing her into a sexual intercourse.
It was gathered that following a petition from the family lawyer of the female student, men of the Crack Squad, Enugu State Police Command picked the lecturer up in Nsukka from where he was moved to Enugu.
According to the petition, “It is our client’s instruction that she has been a student in the Archeology and Tourism Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“According to her instructions, Dr. Odum Chigozie Jude is one of the lecturers in the said department.
“Our brief further showed that the said Dr. Odum Jude went and approached our client and demanded to be sleeping with her and threatened our client that if she refuses, she will never graduate from the said department.
“He further threatened her that he was a cultist while in school and that up till today he still has a good number of them under his payroll. He, therefore, warned our client to comply with his demands and requests in her own interest.
“Our information further showed that he called our client to his house and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her,” the petition signed by Barr. F. C. Ugwuama read.
Meanwhile, the lawyer at a press briefing disclosed that though the family had written to the authorities of the UNN over the matter, they were yet to get any response.
Tough the petition was copied to the UNN VC, the HOD of the lecturer’s department, as well as Servicom, there was no response until the ultimatum given by the family elapsed. This was said to have prompted the petition to the police.
A source claimed that the UNN authority was shielding the lecturer, an indigene of Anambra State.
Ugwuama added that “We will also go for civil claims to ensure that this girl’s rights are remedied. He is trying to claim the child by force, threatening every member of the family, but we are not going to let that happen.”
As of the time of filing this report, it was gathered that there is continuous pressure on the female student, as well as her family to drop the matter.
The family and the lecturer, as well as his lawyer, have also held a series of meetings with the police, but DAILY POST is yet to know the outcome.
But when contacted by journalists, the embattled lecturer claimed unaware of any petition against him.