Secondary School Students in Ogun State narrate how their Principal Conducted Unauthorized Virginity Tests on Them

The Principal of a Secondary School in Ogun state, Olufunke Oladeojobi, has been quizzed by the police for allegedly conducting virginity tests on some students in her school. Without seeking the consent of the parents and guardians of the students, she called in a nurse and jointly carried out virginity tests on a group of 10 students last week Monday.

Punch reports that the principal and the nurse whose name could not be ascertained allegedly dipped their fingers into the pupils’ private parts. After the exercise, which took place at the principal’s office, each of the pupils was given an exercise book.

Here is an excerpt of the news report stating the account of some of the students: A 15-year-old pupil, who identified herself simply as Ayo, said the principal came into the classroom on the day and announced that all female SSS 1 pupils should converge on the assembly ground. She said the principal subsequently asked that those who had yet to lose their virginity should stand apart.

Ayo said, “We are over 600 in SSS 1 but only about 300 of us are females. Those of us that are virgins are 38 and we were marched into the principal’s office with the assistance of members of staff. They subsequently divided us into three groups of 10, 15 and 13 and I was in the second group. The principal later addressed us and threatened that any pupil who fails the test would have her name written in the school’s black book and would be suspended.”

Ayo said she became apprehensive when everyone who emerged from the office where the test was being carried out came out with a sad and disgusting look. She said, “When my class captain emerged from the room, I asked her why anyone that came out of the office looked depressed? I was held spell bound when she told me that the principal and the nurse dipped their fingers in turns into their private parts, adding that she had started bleeding as a result of the penetration.

Just as I was asking further questions from her, the principal dashed out of her office and announced that she had discovered one student who had lost her virginity out of the 10 students that were examined. She wrote her name on one of the notice boards in her office and ordered the rest of us to return to our various classes. Two of my friends who had similar experiences burst into tears as they narrated what happened.”

Thirteen-year-old SSS I pupil of the school, identified simply as Ujunwa, said the principal was happy that she was able to “catch a promiscuous pupil” as she felt proud to discuss it on the assembly ground the next day. She, however, added that her joyous moments was soon short-lived when the parents of the 10 pupils stormed the school in protest against the development.

The parents of the pupils reported the Principal’s action to the Police and she was subsequently arrested. The report further stated that she told the Police that “she was trying to help them” and that she wasn’t detained because it was taken into consideration that she is a civil servant.

This sounds totally wrong. She had no right to do what she did, absolutely none! How could she just put her fingers into their private parts? It sounds more like sexual molestation rather than a virginity test.

We pray that in her bid to “help them”, she hasn’t caused more physical and psychological harm to the young girls.