A group, the Nigerian Feminist Forum, NFF, has lamented the cases of rape in Nigerian universities.
In a statement signed by Geraldyn Ezeakile of the NFF secretariat and forwarded to the office of the chairman, National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, the group mentioned recent cases of rape of female students and the affected culprits.
“The Nigerian Feminist Forum ‘(NFF)’ is dismayed and alarmed by what appears to be an overwhelming rise in reported cases of sexual assault and rape of female university students by male members of the academic staff and students across university campuses in Nigeria”, the statement said.
The group called for immediate action to put an end to the menace.
The group noted that in the past few months, there have been several reports of rape and sexual violence on female students by members of the academic staff in several universities.
“For instance in the last week of August 2015, Professor Cyril Ndifon, Dean of the Faculty of Law University of Calabar was alleged to have sexually assaulted a 20-year-old, 400-level law student from the same university”, the group noted.
“On or about July 23 2015 Dr. Akin Baruwa, a lecturer with the University of Lagos, allegedly raped an 18-year-old female admission seeker”, the statement added
The statement said the majority of cases of sexual violence against female university students in Nigeria go unreported for various reasons including stigma, character assassination, public backlash and limited access to justice for victims.
It added that in many cases, female students who have reported such cases have been subsequently targeted for reprisal attacks by thugs, cultists or university teachers.
It stated that the mass abuse of female university students in Nigeria is fuelled by the lack of a consistent and clear policy by university governing bodies and school authorities concerning sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape of female students.
“Student handbooks and codes of conduct for staff and students are generally ‘silent’ on this and do not adequately address issues of violence against women”, the statement said.
“Sexual assaults are hardly mentioned during orientation for first year students neither are there any dedicated channels of redress or support for students who experience this form of violence whilst on campus”, it noted.
It stated that it is inadequate for university authorities to continue to disassociate themselves, single out, disown or suspend individual perpetuators of such grievous crime of gender based violence and abuse of public office and trust without providing any sort of support and care for the victims and their families.
“Sexual abuse of female students directly impedes on the progresses made in advancing Girl-Child education, in fulfilment of the MDGs and other newly adopted ‘laws’, as well at the objectives sited on the AU Agenda 2063 regarding Girl-child education”, the group stated.
It therefore called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to adopt and enforce a comprehensive sexual harassment policy for its members, penalise by delisting any of its members convicted of an act of sexual offence, and sensitise its members on then negative effect of sexual harassment of female students.
The statement adds that governing bodies of tertiary schools should also immediately adopt policies and measures to address sexual violation of female university students by fellow students and members of staff, put in place a comprehensive policy on eradicating sexual harassment on campus., ensure a victim’s response mechanism for reporting, investigating and prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence against female students, and conduct mass sensitization on sexual violence across all campuses in Nigeria.
It also called on civic organisations and journalists to continue to support victims to report cases of sexual harassment and abuse. This, it said, will ensure the full prosecution of perpetrators of sexual crimes against women.
It added that civic organisations concerned should ensure that the ongoing cases of two university lecturers before the law courts are not swept under the carpet.
The statement reiterated the group’s resolve to help in all possible ways to ensure the actualisation of these goals.
“Rape is a crime under the criminal and penal code in Nigeria. Sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape is a clear violation of Article 3 (4) of the protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003)”, the statement noted.
Other such laws include: “Article 2 (d) of The Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 1979 and Section 24 of the Violence Against Person Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2014″, it added.
(Premium Times)
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