Sex for grade: Buhari urges sexual harassment victims to always speak out

The President says Nigeria needs stricter laws to stop lecturers from sexually harassing their female students.

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged victims of sexual harassment and their family members to always speak out and not cover up such things.

The president while reacting to the recent revelation of a sexual harassment case involving Dr Boniface Igbeneghu, a lecturer at the University of Lagos, said he was glad that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) documentary that exposed the incident has prompted amendment of laws against sexual harassment.

President Buhari said he supported the proposed amendment to the laws, adding that stricter laws were needed to stop lecturers from sexually harassing their female students.

BBC documentary recently exposed Dr Boniface Igbeneghu soliciting sex from a lady seeking admission into the University of Lagos. (The Cable) Prof Boniface of Unilag has been asked to vacate altar Pulse Nigeria

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari urged sexual harassment victims to report cases of sexual abuse wherever and whenever they occurred.

The statement reads, “In his reaction to the recent high profile revelation of sexual abuse cases in institutions of higher learning in the country, President Buhari said he was glad that the incident, exposed through undercover news reporting at UNILAG, had spurred an amendment to our laws regarding the issue at the National Assembly.

“President Buhari said such proposed amendments passed by the Legislature would get his support as long as they conformed to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The country must do more to address incidents of sexual violence, sexual abuses in our schools, discrimination, human trafficking and cultural practices that violate women’s rights.”

“Survivors and their families must avoid cover-up. They should be encouraged to come forth and report cases of abuses wherever and whenever they occur”

The president also urged school administrators and law enforcement agencies to take up such cases and ensure that perpetrators face the consequence of their actions.