Sex-for-Marks Scandal Rocks Lagos School as Teacher Allegedly Abuses 11 Students, Management Accused of Cover-Up
A disturbing sex-for-marks scandal has shaken Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Secondary School in Ojodu-Berger, Lagos State. At the center of the allegations is a Further Mathematics teacher, Mr. Egberongbe Adegbenga Toheeb, who has been accused of sexually abusing at least eleven female students over a span of several academic years.
According to audio recordings obtained by SaharaReporters, the affected children, some of whom were as young as Senior Secondary 1 students at the time, revealed that Mr. Adegbenga used their poor math performance as a tool of manipulation. One student recounted how he lured her into his office under the pretense of offering academic help, only to later proposition her, implying that compliance would earn her passing marks. She revealed that the abuse escalated to inappropriate touching, coercion, and invitations to meet in private hotels.
Another girl detailed a harrowing incident where Mr. Adegbenga cornered her in an empty classroom, removed his belt, and attempted to assault her. She managed to escape after repeatedly shouting and pushing him off.
The accused teacher was not a government staff member but was personally hired by the school principal, a detail that has raised further questions about hiring and oversight protocols in public schools.
When the allegations surfaced, it was Clement James, an NYSC corps member serving at the school and a former student himself, who took the bold step to report the matter. James informed several government and civil society bodies, including the Lagos State Ministry of Education, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Education District VI, and the DOHS Cares Foundation.
In March 2025, following these reports, Mr. Adegbenga was arrested and remanded in custody. He was later granted bail set at ₦300,000. The case remains in court, with the next hearing scheduled for April 22, 2025.
However, instead of supporting the affected children and the whistleblower, the school management reportedly launched a campaign of intimidation against James. After returning to the school on March 24, 2025, with prior permission to collect his NYSC certificate and take photos with his students, James was allegedly ambushed by teachers acting on the principal’s orders. His phone was seized, he was pressured to unlock it, and he was forcibly held in the toilet of the principal’s office until he managed to escape during an unannounced visit by education officials.
James also disclosed that students were instructed to report or harass him if he appeared on school grounds, and some teachers attempted to smear his name to undermine his credibility.
Despite the threats, James’ bravery prompted intervention from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA). He confirmed the agency is not only pursuing justice for the affected children but is also investigating how the school’s principal illegally seized his phone and confined him in a toilet during an attempt to suppress the scandal.
Mr. Adegbenga, now in court, was arraigned and held at Alausa Police Station after the first hearing. At the second hearing, he was granted bail for ₦300,000. The next court date is scheduled for April 22, 2025.
When contacted, the school principal Mrs. Osunrinde declined comment and blocked reporters’ numbers. The vice principal Mrs. Longe also refused to speak, stating, “The matter is in court.” The Lagos State Police PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin, echoed the same, citing legal restrictions.
What’s unfolding is not just a case of sexual abuse, it is a glaring example of the systemic cover-ups, threats, and complicity that continue to shield predators in Nigerian schools. The refusal of authorities to speak, coupled with the school’s attempt to discredit a whistleblower, is a loud reminder: silence protects abusers, not children.
