President Muhammadu Buhari has admonished families of victims of sexual abuse to always speak out rather than covering up.
Reacting to the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a lecturer at the University of Lagos, Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu after the release of a documentary by an undercover reporter with the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, the President encouraged survivors and their families to report cases of abuse wherever and whenever they occurred and avoid cover-up.
Speaking in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Wednesday, Buhari equally expressed his support for the proposed amendment to the laws against sexual harassment of students at tertiary institutions.
He noted that more stringent laws were needed to address the issue of sexual violence and abuse of girls in schools and other socio-cultural practices that violate women’s rights.
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The statement read: “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.”
