On Monday, BBC Africa Eye released a documentary exposing lecturers in targeted West African universities. The documentary revealed the plight of female students who are often sexually harassed by lecturers to better their grades.
The BBC Africa Eye team conducted an undercover investigation after gathering dozens of testimonies, by sending journalists who posed as students inside the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana.
It was disclosed that female reporters were sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers at the institutions – all the while wearing secret cameras in a 13-minutes video documentary released.
President Buhari has condemned the act of sexual harassment against female students Universities, pointing that the nation’s educational system had suffered many setbacks that had hindered its development. First Lady, Aisha Buhari has equally called for urgent action to be taken.
“This simply has to change. It is no longer enough to sweep allegations under the carpet or force victims to withdraw their allegations, victimise or stigmatise them,” she said.
She stressed that there are laws to protect victims of sexual harassment and abuse, but such laws cannot operate except victims speak out to get justice.
The UNILAG lecturer in question, Dr Boniface Igbeneghu, has been suspended by the university authorities as well as stripped from his ministerial position in his church.