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Tension has erupted in Taabaa neighborhood, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, following allegations that the paramount ruler subjected feminine college students of Government Comprehensive High School, Taabaa, to forced virginity tests.
The college administration has condemned the alleged follow, describing it as a violation of the dignity of the girl-child.
Daily Trust reviews that in a petition dated October 12, 2026, the college’s administration accused the paramount ruler of Taabaa, HRH Mene M.S.Okay. Nule, of allegedly forcing virginity tests on feminine college students, invading the college premises and taking over the college farm.
The petition referred to as on the Rivers State Ministry of Education to analyze the allegations, which the administration claimed had persevered for about seven years.
However, Nule denied forcing college students to bear medical virginity tests, however admitted conducting annual roll calls to establish college students who claimed to be virgins and encourage them to abstain from sexual actions till they accomplished their training.
The monarch stated he started the train in 2020 after receiving reviews that some lecturers have been allegedly sexually molesting feminine college students.
He defined that he frequently visited the college together with his crew and requested college students who have been nonetheless virgins to face up. According to him, just one feminine pupil responded when he first carried out the train.
“I always speak to them on the need to focus on their education and not indulge in early sexual activities. I always carry out these activities annually and by 2025, we got four students who stood up as virgins and I rewarded them, the students, not their parents, with N20,000 each,” he stated.
Nule additionally admitted warning college students and lecturers, together with by what he described as delicate threats, that he would go after lecturers allegedly molesting college students.
He claimed the warnings prompted a number of lecturers to go away the college out of worry, whereas insisting that his interventions have been supposed to guard college students and enhance the college’s efficiency.
The monarch, nonetheless, denied taking any pupil to a well being centre for virginity testing.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, has condemned the alleged follow, describing it as a grave violation of the rights and dignity of the girl-child if established.
In an announcement issued on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, the group stated the allegations raised considerations about doable violations of the Child Rights Act and the Rivers State Child Rights Law, which prohibit degrading remedy of kids.
The organisation referred to as on the related authorities to determine an impartial fact-finding committee to analyze the matter and guarantee accountability.
The Rivers State Government has additionally confirmed that it has commenced an investigation to determine the information surrounding the allegations.
The authorities stated it will take applicable motion, together with referring the matter to related authorities, towards any particular person or organisation discovered culpable.
The Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr Mina Tele Ikuru, condemned reviews of alleged forced virginity testing in the college and different colleges throughout the state.
Ikuru urged college authorities to uphold the very best requirements of kid safety, warning towards subjecting college students to degrading, coercive or invasive practices below the guise of cultural traditions, scholarship programmes, disciplinary measures or neighborhood improvement initiatives.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, requested {that a} message be despatched to her, promising to make inquiries and reply.
However, she had but to reply as of the time of submitting this report.
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