S3xual harassment in Nigeria’s ivory towers

IN Nigerian tertiary institutions, the issue of rape and s3xual harassment by lecturers has continued to be a huge problem. In May 2016, the Nigerian Senate moved a motion to hand a five-year jail term to lecturers who engage in sexual relationship with students.

Male lecturers are often believed to be the perpetrators of rape and s3xual harassment  in tertiary institutions. There is often outrage when we hear of the female gender being abused by their male counterparts.Quadlife learned that male students are also being s3xually abused by female lecturers but find it difficult to report.

Speaking to Quadlife, President, National Association of Ikorodu Students, Mr. Wasiu Adekunle, said that  male s3xual harassment has become so rampant but the environment has made them silent even in the face of molestation and threats by female lecturers. “How do I tell my friends that my girlfriend raped me?” asked Wasiu.

“For instance, when a female is abused, there are signs but how do you prove that of a molested male? The inability of the male to show that they have been s3xually abused makes them silent and often, their outcry is neglected. It’s insulting in our environment.”

A female lecturer from the Dept. of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Mrs. Ijeoma Ajaero said, “One of the reasons why lecturers indulge in s3xual harassment and get away with it is because there are female students who love to cut corners. They are not ready to work but want to graduate with good grades. A student who is s3xually harassed by anyone should report to the appropriate authorities with evidence.”

Also speaking, Miss Comfort Olafare, a Mass Communication student of  Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic said that though  females are more vulnerable in s3xual abuse, it will be out of place to say males do not get harassed by females.

Olafare who noted that females abuse males through dressing, and actions either for pleasure or for punishment, said that females who belong to various female cults such as Black Bra and Daughters of Jezebel, including female lecturers, are the major culprits who usually molest male students on campuses.

“There are cases where female lecturers chased and forced themselves on good looking male students for s3x. The females s3xually abuse the male lecturers for examination success and other dividends they get in return,” she added.

For Victor Oboh, a postgraduate student of Institute of Maritime Studies, University of Lagos, revealed that most reported cases of s3xual abuses were initiated by the females. “Why would a female student wear skimpy dress to male hostels or Boys Quarters if not to seduce the guys for academic support, for money or for protection?”

A final-year student of UNN who simply identified himself as Chidera revealed that male students in tertiary institutions are s3xually harassed by female lecturers. He said: “My friends have shared their experiences with me on how they were sexually harassed in their departments.” He added that looking at this generation, anything is possible.

While answering a question on whether male students are also harassed by female lecturers, Catherine Okeke, a final-year student of UNN asked: “Is it not harassment when the person involved is the weaker party? Can a student force a lecturer to do their bidding? It does not seem plausible, except perhaps blackmail, which I don’t think constitutes harassment.”

Mrs Ajaero, however, urged students and lecturers who indulge in such acts to caution themselves. She said, “I would advise those who indulge in s3xual harassment to desist from it. S3x should be a voluntary exercise, an agreement by the two parties. S3xual harassment is evil and should not be indulged in. Any lecturer caught in such act should be sacked.”