President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday called on families of victims of sexual abuse to always speak out and not cover-up such things.
He also supported the proposed amendment to the laws against sexual harassment of students at tertiary institutions, saying stricter laws were needed to prevent girls from being abused in schools.
Buhari was reacting to the recent scandal involving a lecturer at the University of Lagos, following a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The President, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, urged survivors and their families to report cases of abuse wherever and whenever they occurred and avoid cover-up.
The statement reads, “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.”
He urged the law enforcement agencies and school administrators to take up such cases and ensure that perpetrators face the consequences of their actions.
“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,” it added.
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