OPEN LETTER TO HER EXCELLENCY, SENATOR OLUREMI TINUBU, FIRST LADY FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
25th/01/2024
Urgent intervention Required:
SEXUAL MOLESTATION, AND VICTIMIZATION OF STUDENTS BY PROF TAVS ABERE, OF FACULTY OF PHARMACY, MADONNA UNIVERSITY, AND THE TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE.
Over the years, Madonna University has grown with impunity and barbarism. It seems
incorrigible and hence the conveyance of total displeasure towards the brutal events in that
institution, especially one of the recent incidents concerning sexual assault, molestation, as well as
victimization of female students who resisted the ungodly acts by a certain Prof. Tavs A Abere,
Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University, Nigeria.
In February 2023, the University Management in a memo dated 14/02/2023, set up a panel to
investigate Madonna-installed Prof. Tavs Abere on a case of SEXUAL
HARASSMENT/MOLESTATION of some female students, extortion, and victimization of
resistant female students to the extent of excluding one of them from inducting into the Pharmacy
Profession by the Pharmacist’s Council of Nigeria (PCN) in December 2022. In this scenario, the
female student was reported to have resisted the sexual advances of the mighty Prof. Tavs Abere
for more than two years. Some of the chats submitted to the investigation panel read that she was
compelled by Prof. Abere to book a flight and lodge with him in Delta State, during the burial
ceremony of his father-in-law, which was slated for 4th – 6th September 2020. Upon resistance,
she was marked for trouble at Madonna University. When it became unbearable, and she was not
allowed to be inducted as a Pharmacist by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria in December of
2022, she reported to one of her lecturers, who approached the Management of the institution. This
led to the setting up of a ten (10) member panel that investigated in February 2023.
Prof. Tavs Abere was found guilty following a thorough investigation by the 10-man committee,
preceded by testimonies from students and members of the staff. There was also an outpouring of
pieces of evidence of lewd conversations between him and some of the female students on
WhatsApp and other social platforms via his handle. Upon conclusion of the investigation, he was
outrightly found guilty from evidence given by both staff and students the panel wrote their final
report and recommended a straight dismissal/sack of Prof. Tavs Abere from the institution,
but ‘Madonna’ happened to the case.
In furtherance of his intimidation and victimization, while also trying to reduce the shame, he
wrote through a lawyer, demanding an apology from the said student, to be placed on all notice
boards in the school, the student also replied through her lawyer, vehemently refusing to apologize.
That was when the cabal led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Uchenna Casmir Anyanwu, decided
to delete the student completely from the school portal until she was made to write an apology
under duress. In order not to lose a second year of induction, post-graduation, the helpless student
wrote the apology letter amidst tears and pains, and her studentship status was reinstated on the
University portal and she partook in the induction on October 17, 2023.
Concerning one of the Victims sexually assaulted, Prof. Tavs Abere, aside from molestation
equally went to the extent of extorting the female student N50,000. 00 (fifty thousand naira only)
In this case, the student had to pay the money, just to save her head. Unfortunately, Prof. Tavs
Abere did not withdraw from his advances. Some part of the victimization episode played out
during the 2023 induction ceremony of new pharmacists by PCN (17th October 2023), right in the
presence of the Registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu
Ahmed, as well as other PCN officials, were on the ground for the induction. There, the student’s
father confronted Prof. Tavs Abere, demanding to know why the mighty Dean of Pharmacy
Faculty had refused to sign the dean’s column of his daughter’s graduation/clearance form even
when she had fulfilled all the academic and financial obligations for her graduation.
The case surrounding the third victim took another pathetic scenario where the molested female
student, supposedly Prof Tavs Abere’s project supervisee had to cry out to friends for possible
help after suffering a prolonged period of sexual molestation and intimidation from the mighty
Madonna Prof Tavs Abere, knowing that there would be no justice for her as far as Madonna
University is concerned. This is what most of the female students, especially those in the Pharmacy
Faculty pass through in the hands of this one man. This powerful man has successfully sexually
molested and assaulted uncountable female students in that institution, following our thorough
investigation. A recorded phone call of Prof. Tavs Abere appealing to this molested student, to
twist evidence before the panel and delete all their chats. All these were submitted to the panel of
investigation.
Sadly, some cabal championed by Prof. Uchenna Casmir Anyanwu, the Vice Chancellor who is
well known for aiding and promoting all kinds of evil of this nature; Prof. Philippe Mounmbegna,
the Director of Academic Planning who happens to be a close associate of Prof. Tavs Abere, and
Prof. Martin Osita Anagboso (Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration) stood against the case
and averted all forms of justice. The above names were the major accomplices in that case, among
others. They promote all forms of evil in that institution and also have the power of feeding the
founder of the institution whatever they find fit and serves their interest and he obliges for reasons
best known to him. They collaboratively diverted that case and also killed it. What mighty men
they are!
As I speak, Prof. Tavs Abere remains a staff of the institution and was reaffirmed as the Dean of
Pharmacy Faculty by the founder of the institution, Very Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Edeh, despite
this evidence. What a travesty of justice by a supposed cleric, you may say. But that is the mode
of operation at Madonna University, Nigeria as they are well known for upturning cases of this
nature, causing pain and victimization to the innocent. With this action, it is crystal clear that the
University aids, abets, and promotes sexual abuse of female students, rewards criminality, and
shields those who commit them as well as propagates impunity among other vices.
What is the fate of our daughters in this institution that has been fast overtaken by an evil cabal
and sponsored sexual molesters? No wonder a good number of the students in the institution often
attempt suicide due to depression following abuse and violation, because there is absolutely none
to report their violation to
It is on record that this same Madonna-installed Prof. Tavs Abere was sacked from two
public Universities; the University of Benin, Edo State, and Delta State University, Abraka,
Delta State (while on sabbatical) for plagiarism and related crimes as a senior lecturer
(please, verify from both schools mentioned). How come it is only Madonna University, an
acclaimed religious institution that is shielding him in carrying out his atrocities? This leaves
more questions to be answered!
At the instance of this letter, I call on you as the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to
weigh strongly into this matter, please demand the report of the investigations of February – April
2023, especially the audio records and signed written documents of the very many persons who
appeared before the panel. That University is very good at fakery, they may turn in very fake
documents. I wish to appeal to you, to do a thorough investigation, the students there may never
speak up unless the anonymity of their identity is guaranteed. Please, do the best you can and in
the meantime, stop the admission of female students at Madonna University forthwith, and also
transfer our vulnerable daughters especially those in the Faculty of Pharmacy to other institutions
of high academic and moral standards. Very importantly, checkmate this culprit and the powers
backing him to save our daughters and the image of our dear Country.
