By Anthony Izuchukwu
In Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI), several cases of physical assaults an1d harassment, targeted at students paint a troubling picture of the Gender based violence within the institution.
Chidera, a 200 level student of AE-FUNAI would never forget her harrowing experience one evening when she and her colleagues were accosted by some indigenes of her school’s host community, Ikwo. It was around 6:45pm on June 23, she was just returning from class, along with four other students, three of whom were male, when some men stormed out of a bush wielding heavy sticks as weapons and stopped them.
While narrating her ordeal, Chidera said she and her colleagues were so frightened and confused, they did not know what else to do but yield to the command of the men. “They asked what we were doing along that path at the time, we told them that was the usual path we take when coming back from class. One of the men said that we were bluffing and we were just wayward girls and should not be walking around as we pleased. We were told to lie down on the ground, they used sticks to hit us asking why we must wear the dresses we wore. One of the men told others that it would not be bad if they had their way with us, before letting us go, another one agreed with him. Fortunately for us, the others refused and said it would bring serious trouble. They collected our phones and all the money we had, then ran back inside the bush,” she said, subbing.
Many female students in AE-FUNAI face varying degrees of harassment and assault from residents of Ikwo due to their gender which has created an atmosphere of fear for the female students in the school. While Chidera and her friends only lost phones and money to their perpetrators, Chisom, another student wasn’t so lucky. On her way back from the church chaplaincy inside the school one Friday evening, a group of male indigenes accosted her.
“They asked me where I was coming from, and I told them the church. One of them asked if I prayed for them and I politely told them that I did. He came close to me, took my hand, and said that church goers like myself commit the most sin. They fondled my breast, one of them spanked me behind and said I should run away, else they will do worse things,” she said.
Despite being a student representative on campus, Rebecca Chukwugozie was not spared of such harassment from a tricycle driver while trying to settle a matter between him and another student. Chukwu Gozie said she had bumped into a female student who was being assaulted by the tricycle driver and quickly intervened with the intention to settle the issue between them.
“When I intervened the driver asked me who I was and the authority I had to intrude in the matter. Gradually, other indigenes were coming around and when I introduced myself, he said I had no business there because I was just a little girl. He started calling me names and tried to hit me, I stood my ground and told him my gender did not matter. I later found out that the student had a disagreement with him and he called her an ‘Ashawo’ (Prostitute), when she replied with ‘God have mercy on you’ the driver got provoked and began to assault her,” she said.
Chukwugozie added that were it not for the intervention of otherstudents, she would have been physically assaulted by the driver. While Gender Based Violence is a common phenomenon in Nigerian campuses and other parts of the world, it is particularly heightened in AE-FUNAI due to hostilities between the University and the host community.
Zara Mbah a 300Level student was on her way back to schoolon May 27th 2023, during the first week of resumption. She was returning back from Lagos, and her bus came in late at night, at about 9pm, to the university community.
“When the driver dropped me off at my lodge bus top, few guys came running towards me from a nearby bush. I was confused and scared, they pushed me to the ground, one of them took my bag, the other came on top of me, as he was trying to tear my shirt, I screamed out loud for help. My shirt was already torn and I cried and continued to scream.
“Meanwhile, before stopping at the bus top, I had already called my roommates, to notify them that I was close. So, they were coming out to meet me, when they heard my voice. They ran back to call our lodge security man, who returned with them alongside some male students from my lodge, to rescue me,” she said.
Despite all these, the Public Relations Officer of AE-FUNAI, Mr Ikechukwu Elom, said the University had been taking stepsto foster a better relationship with its host community.
“The university management has been able to resettle some people and also employ a lot of indigenes to foster peace and ensure that development continues to move in the right direction,” he said.
Elom condemned the incessant cases of GBV in the University, and urged students who have dealt with gender-based violenceto come forward and seek justice.
“There is no excuse for Gender Based violence. It is condemnable, and anyone caught in the act should face the music. As a university, we have a committee in respect to that, to take reports of Gender Based violence and all forms of violence.
“The committee has been sitting to take issues. Students should come up with factual reports without being afraid because they will be protected. No one deserves to be violated because of their sex and we are out to stop it,” Elom said.
This reporter made efforts to reach the Committee and find out the level of progress made on the issue of Gender-Based Violence in AE-FUNAI.
Calls placed to the Head of the Committee, Dr. Ngozi Nwudu on Friday, November 24 did not go through. However, this reporter reached out to the institution’s Director, Centre for Gender and Women Affairs, Dr. Ngozi Uduma who said there had been nor reported cases from students.
“I have not received any report of Gender Based Violence from students, perpetrated by indigenes maybe, the reports go to the counseling committee but not my office,” she said.
GBV not peculiar to Ikwo –Community Chief
Reacting to the findings in this report, the Ikwo Community Chief, Francis Eze Igwe said it was not peculiar to the Community.
“This issue of Gender Based Violence is not peculiar to Ikwo. It is a general problem everywhere, and other federal institutions in the southeast have faced such problems as well,” he said.
He added that the University authority should take a firm stance on the issue of GBV and put strategies in place to curb it.
“If I am to say my mind, it depends on the administration of the university because the university community cannot continue to say that it is because of the indigenes that they have these problems. It is important to look out and find out what the lingering problem is so that you know how best to follow it up. If the administration is loose on this matter, then they need to have a rethink the strategies they’ve used and find out another alternative.
“If the university is facing a challenge that has to do with the indigenes, then it should be thrown to a round table conference, where the matter will be tabled and possible solutions will be proffered.
So, the menace of Gender Based violence is not peculiar to neither Ikwo nor AE-FUNAI,” he said.
Way Forward
The incessant molestation, bullying, manhandling, harassment and inhuman treatment faced by students who come to study in AE-FUNAI is alarming, says Anadi Somtochukwu, the President, Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, Ebonyi Branch, AE-FUNAI Students chapter.
He blamed the situation on a lack of proper sensitization and lack of adequate GBV reporting channels.
“At times, student leaders are manipulated that they can’t work actively as supposed, for fear of being attacked by indigenes. There are inadequate reporting channels, Non-responsive nature of existing channels E.g Police, School Security, Non counter means of resolving the problem by the State Government, which had led to the high rate of Gender Based violence faced by the student from indigenes.
“There is a need for the creation of more equipped and accessible reporting channels, where students can quickly tender their cases in view of getting justice. Perpetrators of this crime should be made to pay for their crimes in order to teach a serious lesson to the rest,” he said
This investigative report was supported by The Media in Gender Project of CJID in partnership with NWTF
