A Canada-based mother, who goes by the name IFY AUTOS on Instagram, has given a detailed account of how an online chemistry lesson for her daughter allegedly turned into an uncomfortable and distressing experience involving inappropriate conduct by a Nigerian tutor, Toluwalase Ikumawoyi.
In her own words shared with Edugist, the woman clarified that what was posted on her Instagram was “very, very clear” and reflective of her side of the story.
Responding to criticism and accusations of exaggeration, she said, “If I wanted media to carry it, I can afford many—95% of the media houses in Nigeria—but I didn’t want that because my daughter is a minor right now.”
“He’s Not the First Teacher My Daughter Has Had”
Explaining the context of the situation, the woman said her daughter had asked for help with exam preparation while she was on vacation.
“She just noticed she was doing the trial quizzes and wasn’t passing very well. I advertised on my Instagram story. Many people responded, but because I was travelling, I couldn’t do thorough interviews. I randomly selected one,” she said.
The first tutor was rejected due to technological limitations. The second, she said, was Mr. Ikumawoyi, who agreed to a trial class on Sunday.
According to her, the session seemed fine at first, and her daughter, under pressure to prepare for exams, agreed to proceed with him.
“I Was Airborne When My Son Called Me”
The woman revealed that she was in the air flying from Germany to Italy when she received an urgent call from her son. “He said, ‘This lesson teacher is not good for your daughter.’ I was confused. I had just found this one and was hoping it would work. But when I landed, I called my daughter and insisted she tell me what happened.”
What followed, according to her, were alarming revelations from her daughter: “She started chatting me, saying the guy has been disturbing her. During classes, he kept asking her to turn on her camera. When she asked why, he said, ‘So you can dance for me. I want to see you dance.’”
Her daughter reportedly responded, “How did my parents employ you to make me dance for you?” To which the teacher allegedly replied, “Okay, if you won’t turn on your camera, can you video yourself dancing and send it to me?”
The woman emphasized, “This was through Zoom. It was not a video call outside the learning platform. It was during class.”
“He Asked for Her Picture, Said He Wanted to Hug Her”
According to the mother, the situation worsened when the teacher allegedly requested her daughter’s personal phone number to “make communication easier.” She said her daughter, who usually doesn’t give her number to lesson teachers, eventually complied. “Soon, he started sending her WhatsApp messages asking for her picture,” she explained.
She added, “He told my daughter, ‘I wish I was with you now to give you a hug’—just because she passed a practice quiz. This happened within 48 hours of hiring him.”
The woman made it clear she had no motive to fabricate the incident. “I don’t have any reason to lie against him. He’s not the first person to teach my daughter. My daughter is still asking me for a chemistry teacher. Why would we lie?”
“I Blocked You Because I Thought You Were Working for Him”
When asked why she initially blocked the Edugist reporter, she said, “I thought you were working for him. Many of his friends were in my DM, bombarding me, saying I’m lying. Why would I lie? Am I dragging anything with him?”
She explained that her reluctance to go public earlier was due to her husband’s request to avoid exposing their daughter to unnecessary attention. “My husband didn’t want this to be blown up. But I felt the need to speak, because people were accusing me of making things up.”
A Mother’s Pain and a Plea for Protection
Despite mounting pressure to reveal proof, she insisted her story remains credible: “If I wanted to destroy him, I would have done it publicly. But my concern is for my child. I’m still trying to get her a tutor. So what exactly would we gain from lying?”
In concluding her account, she stressed that her actions were guided by parental concern, not malice: “I just want people to understand what happened. That’s my own part of the story.”
While the accused tutor, Mr. Toluwalase Ikumawoyi, has categorically denied the allegations—insisting there was “no video call, just chats”—and has presented chat records to defend himself, the mother remains firm that her daughter’s discomfort and account should not be dismissed.
