Sex-for-Marks Scandal at Sa’adu-Zungur university, is a violation of human dignity and the future of education
Disturbing allegations emerging from Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi state have raised moral alarms across Nigeria’s academic landscape. Reports indicate that some lecturers are allegedly engaging in “sex-for-marks” demanding sexual favors from female students in exchange for academic grades or progression.
While the full scope of the allegations is still under investigation, what is already clear is that this is not just an academic scandal, rather, it is a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) case that strikes at the heart of human rights and educational integrity.
When the Classroom Becomes a Battlefield
Universities are meant to be sanctuaries of learning, where ideas thrive and young minds grow. Yet, for many female students, the classroom has become a battlefield where grades are weaponized and authority is turned into intimidation.
Sex-for-Marks Scandal At Sa’adu-Zungur University
Allegations from within Sa’adu Zungur University suggest that some lecturers have normalized this exploitation, threatening or coercing female students into sex as a condition for passing grades or project approvals.
This is not merely misconduct, it is sexual exploitation, a violation of bodily autonomy, and a crime under Nigerian law. It is also a form of psychological terrorism, where fear replaces focus, and coercion replaces consent. Such acts destroy not just the academic dreams of victims but also their sense of safety, confidence, and dignity.
Sex-for-Marks Is Gender-Based Violence
Let it be said clearly that sex-for-marks is GBV. It fits the global and national definitions of Gender-Based Violence, as an acts that cause physical, sexual, or psychological harm rooted in power imbalance and gender inequality.
When a lecturer uses his professional power to pressure or manipulate a female student into sexual submission, he is not teaching, rather he is tormenting.
Such acts perpetuate a culture of silence, reinforce patriarchy, and normalize abuse in spaces such as educational institution that should empower women via knowledge and ethical orientation.
It is deeply ironic that those entrusted to build the minds of the next generation become the architects of trauma. The issue is not just about grades; it is about institutional failure.
Enforcing Laws
The Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institutions Prohibition Act (2023) makes it a criminal offence for any lecturer to demand or solicit sexual favors in exchange for marks, admissions, or any academic privilege.
Under Section 3 of the Act, offenders face up to 14 years imprisonment without the option of fine. The law also nullifies any notion of “consensual” relationships between lecturers and their students where power imbalance exists.
Sex-for-Marks Scandal At Sa’adu-Zungur University
The Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended), in Section 34, guarantees every citizen the right to dignity of the human person. A right stripped away when a student’s body becomes the bargaining chip for academic success.
Therefore, this scandal is not just an ethical lapses; it is a constitutional violation and a criminal act. The National Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the Bauchi State Government must intervene swiftly to ensure transparent investigations, accountability, and justice.
The University’s Role
Sa’adu Zungur University cannot afford to downplay the administration must immediately establish a gender and ethics investigation committee, collaborate with women’s rights organizations, and guarantee anonymity and protection for whistleblowers and survivors.
Universities should not be safe havens for predators cloaked in academic robes. If the allegations are verified, the institution must make examples of offenders ; suspension, dismissal, and criminal prosecution. Protecting the university’s image should never come before protecting its students.
Faith in Education
While these revelations are painful, parents must not let fear win. The failure of a few lecturers should not become a reason to deny daughters their education.
Instead, this should be a wake-up call to demand safer campuses, stronger reporting systems, and gender sensitive leadership in our institutions.
Sex-for-Marks Scandal At Sa’adu-Zungur University
Education remains the strongest weapon against oppression and ignorance, including the very abuse we are condemning. Parents should continue to encourage their daughters to study, speak up, and stand strong, while society ensures that schools are safe spaces for all.
Restoring Morality
Such issue of sexual exploitation in academia mirrors the broader moral erosion in Nigerian society. It is time to reverse that tide, indeed.
Lecturers must remember that teaching is a sacred trust, not a privilege to exploit. The Bauchi State Government and the university management must digout the issue, not with press releases but with justice, otherwise it would mean complicity.
Educational institutions should institute gender desks, mentorship programs, and anonymous complaint systems to ensure that victims can report abuse without fear of reprisal. Students’ unions, NGOs, and journalists also have a duty to amplify survivors’ voices and demand reform.
Conclusion
The Sa’adu Zungur University allegations are painful mirror reflecting a national disease, the abuse of authority and the degradation of ethics in higher education.
If true, there is a punishment to the full extent of the law. If false, the university must still strengthen its policies to ensure such evil can never thrive. Either way, the lesson is clear: education must never become a currency of sexual trade.
Sex-for-Marks Scandal At Sa’adu-Zungur University
As a journalist, a feminist, and a believer in justice, I insist that this is more than a scandal, it is a gender-based violation that calls for human rights intervention. The future of Nigeria’s daughters depends on what we do next. No student should have to choose between dignity and a degree.
Sex-for-Marks Scandal at Sa’adu-Zungur university.
