I was Once Sexually Assaulted by a Deputy Vice Chancellor – Nigerian Writer, Lola Shoneyin

Ololade Adeyanju/

Nigerian writer and founder of the Ake Book Festival, Lola Shoneyin, has revealed how she was once sexually assaulted by a Deputy Vice Chancellor in an unnamed Nigerian university.

The celebrated writer made the disclosure in a tweet via her handle, @lolashoneyin, today in the wake of the release of the BBC Sex-for-Grades report, which detailed how students are sexually abused by lecturers in West African universities.

Shoneyin said the DVC also happened to be her father’s friend, but she withheld his identity.

According to her, the DVC had suddenly grabbed her breasts one day she went to his office and she had to struggle to prevent him from going further with the assault.

She wrote: “A DVC (also my dad’s friend) lunged at my breasts in his office. I froze from shock before flinging off his hand. For months, I felt terrible shame. Played the scene over in my mind to see what I could’ve done to invite such a violation. Nothing. I told my dad and he was furious!”