Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
The Bauchi State Ministry of Justice has charged tertiary students to discountenance the tradition of silence and report all instances of gender-based violence (GBV) on their campuses.
The charge was delivered by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Sabiu Adamu Gumba, during a one-day sensitisation campaign held yesterday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.
The event was organised by the ministry in collaboration with ATBU’s Faculty of Environmental Technology, and supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The campaign focused on educating the university community about the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law and other legal frameworks protecting citizens from campus-based violence.
Represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Gumba clarified that while the ministry is fully committed to eradicating GBV, it must also uphold constitutional rights.
He emphasised that the ministry would continue to protect the human rights of everyone involved, including the accused, until they are proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“The VAPP law was passed in 2022 to cover specific offenses, including intimidation, assault, rape, and cybercrime, which severely impact women, children, and vulnerable groups. These offenses attract severe punishments when a suspect is found guilty,” Gumba stated.
He admonished students against trading sex for grades, personal favours, or due to intimidation, noting that silence only emboldens the perpetrators.
According to the Solicitor General, “We are here to advise you, the management, and both academic and non-academic staff to speak up whenever an incident occurs. Your silence does not protect the offender; it encourages them. Speak out and expose them to protect yourselves and other innocent people.”
Welcoming the initiative, the Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Technology, Prof. Adamu Babayo, admitted that conversations around GBV have exposed deep-seated issues regarding harmful actions and gender norms within the institution.
“We realised that we have been propagating issues among ourselves as staff and students without fully understanding the legal consequences of our actions,” Prof. Babayo said.
To maximize the impact of the training, the faculty selected two student representatives per department across all levels, from 100 to 500, along with faculty staff.
Prof. Babayo expressed optimism that these participants would act as ambassadors to cascade the anti-GBV message to their peers and homes, reminding attendees that GBV is a cross-cutting issue.
“Gender-based violence goes both ways. Do not assume that because it is labeled ‘gender,’ only females are affected. Male partners can also be victims,” he stated.
Civil society also joined the call for absolute transparency. Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), Elizabeth Carr, warned against covering up abuses.
Represented by Bulak Afsa, Carr stated that journalists across Bauchi State would deploy professional reporting to expose campus GBV, protect the dignity of victims, and create a powerful deterrent against offenders.
The programme also received strong goodwill messages from the Bauchi State Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination, as well as the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Both ministries lauded the timely sensitisation drive, describing it as a major milestone in cleansing tertiary institutions of gender-sensitive violations.
