The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, has dismissed Dr. Usman Mohammed Aliyu, a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering, over allegations of sexual harassment involving a married postgraduate student.
The action followed a formal petition submitted in 2024 by Mrs. Kamila Rufai Aliyu, a Master’s student in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Engineering Technology.
Kamila accused Dr. Aliyu of making inappropriate sexual advances and threatening her academic progress if she refused to comply with his demands.
She further alleged that Dr. Aliyu sent her unsolicited love messages on WhatsApp and summoned her to his office repeatedly, despite being aware of her marital status.
In response to the allegations, the lecturer filed a defamation lawsuit.
The student’s husband, Mr. Ja’afaru Buba, took up the case through legal representation and filed formal complaints with the university authorities, the department’s leadership, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to the petition filed by Kamila’s lawyer, Barrister Mohammed Sani, Dr. Aliyu’s conduct violated ATBU’s staff code of conduct.
The lecturer was accused of attempting to fail Kamila in her courses — CHE 635 (Polymer Processing) and CHE 656 (Fluidization) — due to her rejection of his advances, and allegedly told others he intended to make her fail.
In an update published in the university’s newsletter ATBU Herald (Vol. 39, No. 5, dated April 22, 2025), the university disclosed that its Governing Council approved the lecturer’s dismissal during its 96th regular meeting held on April 11, 2025.
The decision was based on the recommendations of the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee.
The committee found Dr. Aliyu guilty of engaging in an “indecent relationship involving a student,” which contravenes Chapter 3, item f.1(o) of the university’s Senior Staff Conditions of Service.
Following the dismissal, ATBU directed Dr. Aliyu to immediately return all university property in his custody and surrender his staff identity card to the Chief Security Officer.