Babcock university accuses mother of alleged missing student of blackmail, calls for police probe

The management of Babcock University has accused mother of alleged missing student of the institution Oladipupo Siwajuola, of attempting to blackmail the university and therefore called on police to investigate the missing allegation and subsequent return of the student.

Penpushing reports that Director of Communication and Public Relations of the university Joshua Suleiman in a statement said preliminary investigation showed that the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board Program Student was established to be a gambler who left the school without approved authority.

The statement added that to put the record straight and contrary to the mother’s claim the student in question left the University campus unlawfully, without following established protocols or obtaining proper clearance from university authorities.

‘The student’s exit from the University campus was neither approved nor known to the University at the time. In an unfortunate turn, the student’s mother took to social media to sensationalize the situation, falsely accusing Babcock University and its students of negligence and complicity’.

‘These public allegations were not only misleading but deeply regrettable. She was doing this while the University, rather than joining the needless engagement on social media, was busy galvanizing efforts, urgently and assiduously, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), other security agencies, ever patriotic and dedicated Babcock student bodies and concerned citizens to ensure the safety and return of the student’.

‘First and foremost, we are pleased to inform the public that certain reliable sources suggest the student in question has returned from his hiding place to her mother’s care. Unverified reports indicate that the Oladipupo Siwajuola emerged from his hiding place in Akute in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria, a town very close to Lagos State where he previously attended secondary school’, the statement reads.

‘However, Babcock University has not received any official confirmation or denial of this information from the NPF. Furthermore, the student’s mother has not contacted the University to confirm the situation’.

Penpushing further reports that the university said it is currently awaiting the outcome of the full-scale investigation by the police authorities into the circumstances surrounding the student’s disappearance and re-emergence.

‘Let it be clearly stated that Babcock University is a responsible, faith-based academic institution that takes the safety, security, and well-being of its students with the utmost seriousness’, the statement added.

‘Our protocols for student welfare, hall monitoring, and campus safety are firmly in place and are constantly reviewed to capture emerging trends and challenges as many members of the public who have transacted with the University are already aware’.

‘With an on campus resident student population in the neighborhood of 13,000, right from the start of their academic programs till the end (the highest of such in Nigeria), Babcock University has never experienced a case of this nature in its decades-long history’.

‘That is a testament to the integrity of our systems and the values we uphold. Our students thrive in a morally guided, academically sound environment that has consistently produced graduates who excel in professional and public spaces across the globe; these assertions are clearly evident in the public domain’.

‘It is important to clarify that while the University exercises a duty of care over its students, that duty is not absolute in the manner required for infants or toddlers. Our students are adolescents and young adults, many of whom are legally and socially responsible for their personal decisions’.

‘As a university setting, unlike a nursery, is built on mutual trust, guided responsibility, and individual accountability. As a result, each and every Babcock University student is made to enter into voluntary contract and sign an undertaking to this effect as soon he or she enrolls into the University’.

‘Students are expected to conduct themselves responsibly and adhere to laid-down policies, including those regarding movement, conduct, and financial dealing with others which the University regularly explains and makes available to them’.

‘For emphasis, General Duty of Care Implies that: Universities are expected to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and well-being of their students. This includes providing a safe learning environment, offering pastoral care, and ensuring the delivery of educational services to a reasonable standard’.

‘Duty of Care of any University is NOT and CANNOT be Absolute: The duty is not absolute, meaning it is not a guarantee that a student will be protected from all harm. Universities are not insurers of their students’ safety. The Duty of Care is Limited By: Reasonableness: Universities must act reasonably, not perfectly. They are not required to foresee every possible risk or eliminate every potential hazard’.

‘Student Responsibility: Students also have a responsibility to look after their own health, safety, and well-being. This includes complying with laid down rules and regulations, being aware of risks, taking reasonable precautions, and seeking help when needed.

‘Scope of Responsibility: The University’s duty of care typically extends to the campus and its immediate surroundings, and to activities directly organized or sponsored by the university’, the statement stated.

Penpushing also reports that the university declared that for the above reasons, the student is going to appear before the Student Disciplinary Committee, particularly to be given, as usual, the opportunity of fair hearing, to clear himself for the misconducts allegedly perpetrated by him.

‘In the same vein, any other alleged person (student or employee) indicted in the ongoing investigation, will equally appear before the appropriate University committee’, the statement emphasised.

‘Our findings show that on several occasions, the student’s roommates expressed concern to his mother via WhatsApp about his suspicious and unsettling behavior. They mentioned that he had recently been using a “local sponge and black soap,” which created an unpleasant atmosphere in their room’.

‘In response, his mother explained that she had given him those items to help treat various skin conditions. She also mentioned that she had prepared a mixture of lemon, turmeric, and neem leaves for him to use as skin cream’.

‘This explanation of hers did not sit well with the roommates as the roommates were aware of well documented. University policy to all students and employees that Babcock University does not allow the use of fetish looking and or suspicious items on its campus. It is our belief that she adopted the said explanation as a measure to cover up her son’s misdemeanors’.

‘Additionally, the roommates informed her about his growing debts to other students and other misdemeanors (inappropriate behaviors) of his, including the University prohibited act of gambling which they had refrained from reporting to the university authorities. His mother thanked them for their discretion and pleaded with them not to report him to the University authorities, fearing it could lead to disciplinary action’.

‘She expressed appreciation to them for always notifying her of her son’s wrongdoings, and sought their advice on how best to handle him. It is imperative to also add at this juncture that it is on record that the mother of Oladipupo was fully aware of the threat carried out by her son, to ‘shook’ one of his roommates, Tobi Famuyiwa with an object, for calling his mother and reporting him to her’.

‘In light of the above facts and recent events, we strongly denounce the irresponsible an reckless use of social media by the Oladipupo’s mother to whip up sentiment, attract public sympathy, cast aspersions on the University’s reputation, and to incite public unrest—even while investigations were ongoing’.

‘Such action was not only premature and unjustified, but also grossly unfair to the University community, which was already working in collaboration with law enforcement agents to ascertain the whereabouts of her son’.

‘The insinuation that Babcock University was complicit in the student’s disappearance is not only false and defamatory, but also an unfortunate display of disregard for truth and due process. We caution the public to be wary of one-sided narratives circulated without verification or respect for institutional integrity’.

‘Over the years, the University’s experience has shown that despite assurances from parents and almost swearing to the “good” behaviors of their wards, like Oladipupo’s mother did severally on social media these past days, the character and conduct of certain students have consistently raised serious concerns’.

Despite the University’s sustained efforts to provide a stable, engaging, and morally supportive academic environment, some students have not demonstrated the values expected of them. Babcock University will continue to work with the NPF and appropriate authorities to understand the full facts of this incident.

Penpushing reports that following the conduct of the mother on social media, the university authorities declared that it reserves the right to seek redress under the law for any reputational damage caused by malicious and unfounded statements made against the university, stressing that on this very matter, it may not be hesitant to so do in due course.

‘We remain committed to nurturing responsible citizens and upholding our legacy as a citadel of excellence and character. We encourage parents and guardians to partner with us responsibly, respecting institutional processes rather than resorting to public misrepresentation and unfounded accusations.

‘We take seriously the trust placed in us by parents and the wider public, and we will continue to uphold the highest standards of student welfare, character development, and institutional accountability’, Suleiman wrote

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