Court grants bail to lecturer accused of sexual harassment

A Kano Chief Magistrate Court has granted bail to a lecturer standing trial over alleged sexual harassment of his female student.

The 36-year-old lecturer, Ali Shehu, was granted N200,000 bail with two reliable sureties in like sum by Chief Magistrate Muhammad Idris.

He said one of the sureties must be a senior lecturer with Kano State School of Technology and the second the village head of where the accused person resides.

The court had earlier fixed Oct. 15, for sentencing after the accused pleaded guilty, but during Tuesday’s hearing, his counsel requested for a fresh trial.

The counsel, Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim, told the court that when the accused person was first arraigned on Oct. 8, he admitted the content of the First Information Report without understanding it.

Shehu, a lecturer of Kano State School of Technology, is facing trial on a two-count charge of breach of official trust and attempt to commit an offence.

The prosecutor, ASP Badamasi Gawuna, had earlier told the court that the accused committed the offence on Aug. 19, in Kano.

Gawuna said the arrest followed a sting operation conducted by the Kano State Public Complaints and AntiCorruption Commission.

He said on the same date at about 11am, the accused took one of his female students (name withheld) to Ummi Plaza in Kano, to help him mark his students’ final semester examination scripts.

“In the process, the accused admitted to touching the said victim’s private part,’’ the prosecutor said.

The chief magistrate adjourned the case until Nov. 7, for hearing. (NAN)