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70% of Nigeria’s female students are sexually harassed – CSO
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI), said on Tuesday that 70 per cent of the female population in the country’s school system have experienced sexual harassment.
The Executive Director of GMI, Ms Omowumi Ogunrotimi, said this in Abuja at a summit on “Anti-Sexual Harassment in Educational Institutions,” co-convened by the group and the Independent Corrupt Practice and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Ogunrotimi said the collaboration with the ICPC was based on its zero-tolerance to sexual harassment and ensuring government’s participation in achieving the desired systems change through policy engagement.
“Perhaps the recent statistics quoted by the World Bank Group on women, law and business on the prevalence of campus sexual harassment needs to be re-echoed for us to understand the urgency required in addressing sexual harassment,” she said.
Ogunrotimi said that the past few years witnessed a global reckoning for perpetrators of sexual harassment, especially by abusers who wield significant power over the abused.
She noted that more stakeholders were needed on the frontline to fight the scourge and stem the tide of sexual harassment in the country.
“That 70 per cent of female students experience sexual harassment is an affront to our shared humanity and values as individuals and as a nation.
“While Nigerian tertiary institutions have become the centre ports for power-driven gender-based violence and harassment, the challenge has not received the required corresponding level of attention.
“This spate of violence has been mainly attributed to lack of a comprehensive anti-sexual harassment policy, lack of confidentiality-driven reporting channels and poor institutional response,” Ogunrotimi said.
According to her, investigations by prominent media organisations including the BBC Sex for Grade’s documentary elevated conversations on a pragmatic policy framework that should address emerging issues bothering social relations and integrity grading system among others, in our schools.
“We are not oblivious of the complexities of the systemic challenge we seek to address; we have all been working to nip sexual harassment in the bud before now.
“We know that different organisations are addressing different aspects of the problem,” she added.
Reacting, the Chairman of ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, said that the culture of silence out of fear of reprisal and stigmatisation had allowed sexual harassment to thrive in some quarters.
Owasanoye noted that with sensitisation and appropriate policy implementation things would gradually change.
“It is a deviation from the norm for an official of an institution to use his office or position to demand, receive, obtain or attempt to obtain any form of sexual gratification in order to execute his or her duties or as a reward for doing his or her duties.
“The ideal thing is for official duties to be done with integrity, good conscience and diligence without the expectation of any unlawful benefit, but it seems the reverse has almost become the norm.
“It has become quite common for teaching and non-teaching staff to demand or expect sexual gratification from their students to whom they are supposed to serve as parents,” he said.
Owasanoye explained that the purpose of the event was to brainstorm and review the draft documents which the Commission and Gender Mobile had drafted.
He expressed the hope that the documents would eventually be adopted as templates for educational institutions when drafting individual organisational sexual harassment policies.
Owasanoye said the Commission had done a lot in the area of prevention and prosecution of sexual harassment in the country.
“The Commission has carried out about seven training and re-training programmes for its officers in Operations, Prosecution and Education and Public Enlightenment Departments and the officers trained also conducted training for their colleagues.
“The Commission has also partnered with some CSOs to carry out training for students while the Education and Public Enlightenment Department has taken up the task of including talks on sexual harassment in its different engagements.”
The ICPC boss noted that the commission had received about 17 reports relating to sexual harassment with one conviction via plea bargain.
“One resulted in system study, as one criminal case was recently filed in court, while some other cases are still under investigation,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, promised that his ministry would ensure the distribution of the sexual harassment template to the concerned regulatory agencies in the country.
Adamu who was represented by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, said that the ministry would ensure that teachers present the policy document to students at the end of each academic year.
He added that the purpose was for emphasis and assimilation as “each employee shall be given copies of workplace policy on sexual harassment.
“I must commend the ICPC and its partners on this programme for this laudable contribution to the education sector.
“The ministry on its part promises to ensure that the policy document when fully approved, will be implemented through the provision of the enabling environment and ensuring compliance,” Adamu said.
On his part, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Otive Igbuzor, enumerated some of the initiatives that the National Assembly had done in support of the war against sexual harassment.
According to him, the National Assembly through the deputy Senate President has worked on bills to tackle sexual harassment.
Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, the ICPC-FORD Project Consultant, while presenting the Anti-Harassment Policies for Education Institutions in Nigeria, urged state governments to create policies on sexual harassment and ensure adequate consequences were provided for offenders.
Atsenuwa noted that the value of education in the country would be greatly affected if sexual harassment persist.
She commended the ICPC for driving institutional based policies on sexual harassment
Kogi State has been thrown into mourning as former Governor of the state, Ibrahim Idris, fondly called Ibro, has reportedly died in the United Kingdom at 77.
Sources broke the sad news on Sunday, with details of his passing still sketchy as of press time.
Though details regarding the latest development are still sketchy, family sources said Idris had suffered protracted illness.
Meanwhile, incumbent Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has condoled with the former governor’s family.
In his condolence message, Ododo described the late lawmaker as a man who had made meaningful contributions in politics and business.
The governor also recalled his last meeting with the ex-governor in March 2024 during a visit involving political stakeholders from Omala Local Government Area.
Ibro was not just a governor. He was an institution.
From businessman to political colossus, Idris stormed Kogi politics in 2003 when he floored incumbent Abubakar Audu to emerge governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
What followed was a turbulent, dramatic reign.
His 2007 re-election was nullified by the courts after Audu was excluded from the ballot. The Court of Appeal in February 2008 ordered a fresh election. Idris fought back and won the March 2008 re-run, holding on to power until January 2012 when he handed over to Captain Idris Wada.
Born in Idah in 1949, Idris built his name in business before politics — founder of Ibro Trading Company, with tentacles in construction, furniture and hospitality.
He built a furniture factory in Sokoto and Ibro Hotel, reputed to be the first three-star hotel in old Sokoto State.
Fate tested him in 2006 when three of his daughters miraculously survived the ill-fated ADC Airlines Flight 53 crash that killed 96 others. A grateful Ibro called it a “superlative show of mercy” from God.
But tragedy never left him far.
In April 2024, he buried his son, Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, former member of the House of Representatives for Ankpa/Olamaboro/Omala, who died in Abuja shortly after Eid-el-Fitr prayers.
… Records major drug seizures across eight states, FCT
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 6,000kg of cannabis, in a series of operations across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The agency said the seizures had a combined street value of more than N3.4 billion.
The operations were conducted in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the FCT.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the various commands for what he described as professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, urging them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
A major highlight of the operations was the interception of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.
The operation also led to the arrest of a 49-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Innocent Ekpe, who allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to evade scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit drugs across state lines.
Ekpe was arrested on Wednesday, September 16, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.
According to the agency, preliminary investigation revealed that Ekpe allegedly presented himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged police identification card.
A 39-year-old alleged accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a location along Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.
The agency said Ossai allegedly used his auto-repair workshop to store illicit drugs.
Operatives recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152 grammes of methamphetamine and a metal box allegedly used to store the substances.
At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives placed a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, under surveillance after it arrived on September 12.
A joint physical examination conducted with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16, led to the discovery of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg.
The consignment was concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container.
In Niger State, three suspects — Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18 — were arrested on Tuesday, September 15, during a patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area.
The suspects were allegedly found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.
Two other suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested on Friday, September 18, along the Abaji-Abuja Highway.
The agency said more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets were recovered from them.
The substances were allegedly concealed in eight sacks and were being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on Friday, September 18, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg.
Seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were also intercepted at a logistics company in the state, leading to the arrest of a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.
In another operation in Lagos, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apongbo on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, a total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19.
The suspects were arrested at the Barunde area and Gombe Main Market respectively on Friday, September 18.
In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road on Friday with 43.85kg of skunk.
Similarly, four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu Forest, Ondo State, on Tuesday, September 15.
The NDLEA said 5,000kg of skunk was destroyed during the operation, while 48kg of dried and fresh cannabis was recovered from the location.
Meanwhile, commands and formations of the agency continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation campaigns across the country during the week.
The activities included enlightenment lectures for students and staff of St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo State; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra State; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos State; and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba State.
The Delta Ports Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to traditional ruler, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Delta State.
The NDLEA said the sensitisation activities were part of its continued efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of illicit drug use and trafficking.
A woman identified as Bilkisu Sani has been arrested in Rogo Local Government Area of Kano State over the alleged killing of her husband, Hafisu Gausu, amid reported plans by the deceased to marry another woman.
According to reports, the incident occurred around 7pm on Friday, September 18, 2026, in the Katsalle area of Rogo town.
A resident, Auwal Kazagi Rogo, said residents rushed to the scene after hearing cries from Bilkisu, who reportedly claimed that her husband had been kidnapped and killed.
Kazagi said residents who arrived at the scene found Gausu with an injury to his head. He explained that contrary to the initial claim that the deceased had been slaughtered, residents allegedly found that he had been struck with an object.
He said the police were immediately contacted and subsequently evacuated the body for investigation.
According to the resident, Gausu had reportedly been planning to marry another woman as his second wife, a decision that allegedly led to repeated disagreements between him and Bilkisu.
Kazagi said the woman had allegedly vowed to prevent the marriage, prompting community elders to intervene in an attempt to resolve the dispute. However, tensions reportedly continued.
The police subsequently arrested Bilkisu as the prime suspect, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding Gausu’s death remain ongoing.
The deceased was buried on Saturday morning in Rogo in accordance with Islamic rites.
Reports indicate that Gausu and Bilkisu had been married for nearly seven years and had two children. Bilkisu is also reportedly pregnant for the deceased.
Sources in the community further claimed that Gausu had asked his prospective bride’s family to bring forward the wedding date by two months because of the reported disagreement with his wife.
The police have yet to conclude their investigation into the incident, and the allegations against Bilkisu remain subject to the outcome of the investigation and any subsequent court proceedings.
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