Students Union leaders at the Rivers State University (RSU) have condemned the alleged use of scissors by two law lecturers to cut the hairs of a female law student (name withheld) in the name of enforcing a dress code.
The student leaders under the aegis of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), in a letter addressed to the Dean of the Faculty of Law of the university, Prof Christian Wigwe, condemned the assault on the female student, asking the Dean to act on the matter.
The letter signed by the Attorney General of the Law Students Association of Nigeria, Kelechi Nwodo, was titled, Re: Physical Assault, Harassment, Humiliation, Abuse, And Wanton Display Of Arbitrariness Unbecoming Of Legal Practitioners/Lecturers On Students Of The Faculty Of Law, Rivers State.’
The letter, which was copied to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Nlerum Okogbule, states “My attention has been brought to a distasteful and highly scandalous video emanating from your Faculty which showed an unruly display of aggression, intimidation and conduct likely to cause bodily harm, and disdain for the dignity of students by some lecturers of the Faculty masquerading as dress code enforcers.
“As evinced in the video, the said lecturers, Timothy and Itari, did not only harass the female student, but also endangered her life as the scissors wielded by Timothy in the video could have caused severe and life-threatening injury to the young student in the course of the encounter”,
The association also alleged that the lecturers smashed the phones of students who were said to be recording the incident, which the association described as “a gross display of impunity and embarrassing” development coming from those who should know the law.
LAWSAN demanded that immediate disciplinary action be taken against the lecturers involved, while it also called for compensation for the students whose phones were said to have been destroyed in the process by the lecturers.
Also, the Students’ Union Government President of the institution, Kelechi Omano, condemned the assault.
He said, “Our position is clear; everyone has a right to personal liberty, an inalienable right. Also, the Faculty of Law has rules guiding it, it is expected that students abide by those rules. On the other hand, whether or not a student has violated any rule, it is not sufficient for anybody to take laws into their hands. I feel that those rules should not be taken up by a person but by the law itself.
“I have seen the video, I don’t have the detail yet, but the code of conduct should be followed. The indiscriminate cutting of people’s hair or writing on their shirts, I think that is overrated. That is out of place. The discussion has been ongoing for over 24 hours now. My deputies are not happy about it.
“We have reported the matter to appropriate quarters. The Dean of Students Affairs is in charge. They have invited us for the matter on Monday.”
Meanwhile, the Management of the institution is yet to give details on the issue, The Tide has reliably gathered at the time of this report.
The two lecturers at the Law faculty, Blessing Timothy (Female), and Melford Itari (Male), had allegedly last Thursday, at about 11am, used Scissors to cut the hairs of one female law student,simply identified as Princess Amadi over dress code enforcement.
The Tide gathered that the student was putting on a brown color hair wigg, which was not the normal in the faculty, and was held bound by the male lecturer, while the female used the scissors on her hairs.
When contacted via telephone, Friday evening, the Dean of the Directorate of Student Affairs of the institution, Professor Bright Opara, noted that the management would give report hopefully on Monday.
“I’m just receiving a report from the SUG President now. I don’t have the detail from those involved,” he said.
On what dress codes or hairstyles were available for the students of the institution, Prof Opara said he couldn’t make comment at the moment, “I can’t make comment now until I get the detail of the matter.
“If he (the President) briefs me within the weekend, I will know whether the lecturer stays on campus or off campus, then the student who is involved, I will get the two sides and I will be in a better position to brief the Vice Chancellor and what to say to you thereafter.”

By: Corlins Walter