- Female students at Olabisi Onabanjo University were physically checked for bras before an exam
- Viral video shows female staff touching students’ chests
- The university has yet to issue an official statement
A Nigerian university has come under fire after a viral video showed female students being physically checked to determine whether they were wearing bras before being allowed to sit for an exam.
The footage, captured at Olabisi Onabanjo University in south-western Ogun State, shows female staff members touching students’ chests as they lined up to enter an examination hall.
The university has not officially responded to the incident, but a student leader defended the bra-checking rule, saying it was part of a dress code designed to promote a “distraction-free environment.”
However, he admitted that the method of enforcement needs to be reconsidered, following widespread criticism labeling the practice as outdated, sexist, and comparable to sexual harassment.
A senior member of the Human Rights Network, Haruna Ayagi, told the BBC that the students have grounds to sue, stating:
“Uninvited physical contact is a violation of personal rights and could lead to legal consequences. The university’s approach to enforcing dress codes is inappropriate.”
An anonymous student told the BBC that despite not being a religious institution, the university imposes a strict moral code, with frequent inspections of students’ attire.
In reaction to public backlash, the president of the student union, Muizz Olatunji, posted on X (formerly Twitter), reiterating that the dress code aims to ensure modesty and uphold institutional values. He emphasized that the rule was not new and said the union is working with school authorities to find more respectful and dignified ways to enforce the policy.
Olatunji also shared the university’s dress code, which prohibits any clothing “capable of causing members of the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner.”
Olabisi Onabanjo University was originally established as Ogun State University in 1982 and was renamed in 2001 in honor of then-Governor Olabisi Onabanjo.
