Bullying: NHRC Demands Public Hearing To Curb Action In Schools

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has demanded a thorough investigation to ascertain the root cause of bullying in schools.

The Commission was reacting to a viral video of the brutal bullying of Namtira Bwala, a female student of Lead British International School, Gwarinpa, Abuja.

The Commission, in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, noted that the victim in the said video that went viral, suffered repeated slaps by fellow students over her refusal to answer inappropriate questions about school relationships.

“The alarming incident which has attracted widespread condemnation across the country is a matter of concern that borders on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, respect for the dignity of the human person, as well as learning in a safe and protected environment,” the Commission stated.

Reacting to the development, the NHRC, through its Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, said it was shocked by the physical abuse meted out by a student to a fellow student, saying such should not have happened if appropriate measures were put in place for a safe and conducive environment for learning.

Ojukwu, SAN, cited Section 34 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which he said provided that “every Nigerian individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and accordingly (a) No person shall be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

He charged school proprietors to put measures in place to prevent re-occurrence of similar situations, adding that CCTV cameras should be installed in appropriate places, as well as a whistleblower system for reporting of bullying and inappropriate conduct in schools.

The NHRC boss further condemned what it termed as “this dastardly act in the name of seniority,” and stressed that the protection of students across the board by school management should be made paramount.

While requesting for public hearing on bullying in schools, the NHRC noted that “bullying has become common in schools and, if notchecked,d will discourage some students from attending schools.”

“This may lead to mental health issues, low self-esteem, even suicide as the case may be,” it stated in the statement that was signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, Obinna Nwakonye.

In a related development, the NHRC flayed degrading treatment meted out to a cross-dresser who was commanded to strip himself naked in the full glare of some security operatives.

It advised security and law enforcement agencies in the country to desist from subjecting citizens or other foreigners living in the country to any form of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, or punishment in the course of their investigations.

In the video that went viral, the victim, a middle-aged man, admitted that he disguised as a woman while dancing to attract attention for monetary rewards.

The NHRC maintained that while law enforcement personnel are mandated to carry out their duties, including investigations, they must conform to the extant laws and regulations which do not confer on them any form of authority to administer unethical treatment on any suspect.

“What played out in the video is a demonstration of the fact that some of our security personnel are either ignorant of the laws governing their operations or are deliberately indulging in abuse of Office.

“Unfortunately none of these can suffice as an excuse or justification for any law enforcement agents to use torture, inhuman and degrading treatment and or punishment as a tool for investigation,” the Commission stated.

It called on the various authorities in the security sector to set up internal monitoring mechanisms to fish out the bad eggs and forestall any excesses from the law enforcement agents under their jurisdictions.

“Accordingly, the perpetrators amongst the law enforcement in viral video should be prosecuted by the Nigerian Police as an institution for the promotion and protection of human rights of the people of Nigeria.

“Against the foregoing, the victim in the viral video deserves an apology and any other measures necessary to ensure that he recovers from the psychological trauma he was made to go through in the course of the unprofessional investigation he was subjected to in the hands of those who are supposed to protect his rights and other members of the public,” the Commission added.