A video showing female students at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Nigeria being physically checked for bras before taking an exam has sparked national outrage and accusations of rights violations.
The footage, which quickly went viral, shows female staff members touching students’ chests as they queue outside an examination hall in Ogun State.
The university has not officially commented on the incident. However, a student union leader defended the controversial policy, saying it was intended to uphold the school’s dress code and ensure a “distraction-free environment.”
Critics, on the other hand, have slammed the policy as sexist, outdated, and comparable to sexual assault.
“Unwarranted touches on another person’s body are a violation and could lead to legal action,” said Haruna Ayagi, a senior official with the Human Rights Network. “The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing.”
One student, speaking anonymously to the BBC, said the university had always enforced a strict dress code, even though it is not affiliated with any religious organization.
“Our clothing is always under scrutiny,” she noted.
In response to the backlash, the university’s Student Union President, Muizz Olatunji, acknowledged the problem on X (formerly Twitter). He reiterated that the dress code was designed to promote modesty and respect.
“We have engaged the university to find alternative ways to address indecent dressing, with a focus on respectful and dignified interactions between students and staff,” Olatunji said.
He also shared the university’s dress code, which prohibits clothing “capable of making the same or opposite sex lust after the student in an indecent manner.”
The institution, originally founded in 1982 as Ogun State University, was renamed after former governor Olabisi Onabanjo in 2001.
Source: BBC. com
