‘Some of your members are raping their students’ ― Ekiti AG tells NUT

Ekiti State Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda has raised concern about the frequency of incidents of sexual violence in secondary schools across Ekiti State.

He expressed the State Government’s concern on Friday at a meeting he held with the State Executive Council of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) at the Ministry of Justice Academy.

According to the Attorney General, he called for a meeting with the NUT to formally inform them of the ongoing joint investigations by his ministry and the State Police Command into allegations of sexual violence in schools.

He, however, revealed that preliminary investigations by his office showed that some of the members of NUT are raping their students in at least three secondary schools in the State.

Fapohunda who stated that the establishment of the Sex Offenders Register in the State, backed by the leadership provided by the first lady, has created awareness among the population, said this has resulted in an increase in complaints of sexual violence to his Ministry.

He further said that the increasing number of allegations of rape incidents in schools caused his office to formally advise the Ekiti State police command on the need for a thorough investigation of the situation.

He, however, reminded the teachers of the Zero Tolerance Policy of the Fayemi’s Administration for all forms of Sexual Violence and said the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence Prohibition Law 2019 was in force in the State and his office would aggressively prosecute teachers who violate the Law.

The Attorney General noted that by the provisions of that law no child under the age of 18 can give consent for any sexual activity and according to him, “having sex with an under 18 is rape.”

Fapohunda also decried the politicization of the issue saying that he had been advised to tread carefully on the matter and possibly look the other way to avoid confrontation with teachers because his party will need them for possible votes in the future.

“I find such reasoning unacceptable and deeply offensive. This is not about APC or PDP, it is simply despicable that anyone will play politics with the lives of our daughters. If our insistence that our daughters will not be raped will make us lose teachers’ votes then let it be so”, he said.

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He stated that “the majority of teachers in the State are hard-working, many working diligently under difficult conditions to ensure that their students excel. It is therefore important that the NUT take immediate and urgent action to identify the very few who are bringing the name of the union into disrepute”.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers in the State, Comrade Samuel Olusegun Olugbesan, in his response described the commitment of the NUT to eradicating sexual violence in schools in the State.

Olugbesan said that the NUT currently sponsors a weekly radio programme where issues affecting teachers in the State are discussed. He, however, promised that the union will intensify its efforts on creating awareness among its members.

The NUT Chairman said he agreed with the observation of the Attorney General that the majority of the teachers in the state are hardworking and committed to their professional code of ethics. He said that the NUT will take urgent additional measures in responding to the situation.

While also urging the Attorney General to temper justice with mercy in the ongoing cases, Olugbesan said any teacher subsequently found culpable will be left to face the full wrath of the law.

The meeting was attended by senior officers of the Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Ekiti State.