In a developing scandal, Ibrahim Lamuwa, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been accused of sexual harassment by a married subordinate. Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar has officially notified Folasade Yemi-Esan, head of the service of the federation, of the allegations.
In a letter dated May 27, Tuggar expressed the seriousness of the matter, detailing the accusations made by Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, a ministry employee, through her lawyer, senior advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana.
The complaint, signed by Adebayo Oniyelu on behalf of Falana, outlines a series of incidents starting from October 7, 2023, during a policy retreat. According to the petition, Lamuwa made inappropriate advances towards Ajayi, asking why she did not stay at the hotel and suggesting she join him in his room.
The inappropriate behavior allegedly continued throughout the retreat. On November 10, 2023, Ajayi reported that during a discussion in Lamuwa’s conference room about digitizing the ministry, he invited her on a trip to Hong Kong, implying it would change her life. When Ajayi tried to leave, Lamuwa allegedly demanded a hug, which she refused.
Further, the petition describes another encounter where Lamuwa summoned Ajayi, accusing her of avoiding his office since February and inappropriately touching her while offering tea from his cup.
Ajayi’s discreet investigation uncovered that other female staff, including directors and foreign service officers, had faced similar harassment, with some nearly being raped in their hotel rooms and others being threatened or removed from assignments for rejecting Lamuwa’s advances.
Minister Tuggar has requested Yemi-Esan to address the issue and pledged full support to facilitate her investigation and actions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to comment on these serious allegations as the investigation unfolds.
