Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, has notified Folasade Yemi-Esan, head of service of the federation, about persisting allegations of sexual harassment against Ibrahim Lamuwa, permanent secretary of the ministry.
In a letter dated May 27 to Yemi-Esan, Tuggar said he felt it necessary to write her following the “gravity of the matter”.
Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, a married female ministry employee, reported Lamuwa’s alleged s*xual advances to Tuggar via Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and her counsel.
Adebayo Oniyelu signed the petition on behalf of Falana. According to the suit, Lamuwa contacted Ajayi on October 7, 2023, at the first policy retreat to examine President Bola Tinubu’s 4D policy, and asked why she did not stay at the hotel afterward.
The petition said that the permanent secretary instructed Ajayi that he would like her to come to his room after the event but she declined, stating she was a nursing mother and wanted to go home to care for her baby. “Is it a big baby or a small baby?” the petition reported Lamuwa as asking, adding that he wants to know so he may join.
“He, on the other hand, maintained this pattern of unsuitable anecdotes throughout the retreat.
“On November 10, 2023, our client visited Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s conference room, where he was working out, to discuss plans to digitize the Ministry.
“Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa invited her to a meeting later that day with the Galaxy Backbone team.
During the conversation, Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa requested that our client accompany him to Hong Kong. He also told our customer that their life will never be the same following the vacation.
“Our client left the scene stunned and disappointed by the awkwardness of Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s chat.