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 Bra Check Controversy at Olabisi Onabanjo University Sparks Public Outrage

Olabisi Onabanjo University located in Nigeria's southwestern Ogun State amidst dress code controversy

A viral video showing female lecturers at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) physically checking students for bras has drawn national outrage and criticism over human rights, dignity, and institutional overreach.

The video, recorded in Ogun State, southern Nigeria, shows female students lined up outside an exam hall while lecturers press their chests to confirm whether they are wearing bras. Those without were reportedly denied entry to write their exams.

The university has not yet made an official statement. However, the Students’ Union President, Muizz Olatunji, defended the institution's dress code, describing it as an effort to promote a "respectful and distraction-free environment." He admitted that alternative methods for enforcement were needed and said the union had started engaging with school authorities on better approaches.

A Question of Rights and Boundaries
The dress code, now widely circulated online, bans clothing that might lead “the same or opposite sex to lust after the student.” Activists say such language unfairly targets women and creates conditions ripe for abuse.

Haruna Ayagi, a senior official at the Human Rights Network, said that “unwarranted touches” could lead to lawsuits. “The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing,” he said.

A student who chose to remain anonymous said that OOU enforces a strict moral code, despite not being a religious institution. “They always check our clothes,” she noted.

Institutional Values or Public Violation?
Founded in 1982 and renamed in 2001 after former Ogun State governor Olabisi Onabanjo, OOU has long been viewed as a conservative institution. Still, the bra-check incident has reignited debate over how far educational institutions should go in regulating students’ personal choices.

“This is no longer about dress codes,” said one online commentator. “It’s about the violation of dignity and bodily autonomy.”

The video has raised serious questions about the line between enforcing discipline and violating rights, especially in public institutions. As calls for justice grow louder, all eyes are now on the university’s response.