Some teachers in Ekiti State are raping their pupils, the Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda, alleged on Friday.

This was as the Commissioner for Education, Foluso Daramola, bemoaned the reports of sexual harassment and cases of rape in some secondary schools in the state.

Daramola, in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, assured the general public “that investigations have commenced into the allegations in conjunction with the office of the Attorney General. At the end of the investigations, those found culpable shall be dealt with in accordance with extant regulations”.

The AG, Fapohunda, who raised concern about the frequency of incidents of sexual violence in secondary schools across the state, said that his office would aggressively prosecute any teacher who violated the Ekiti State Gender Based Violation Prohibition Law 2019.

The AG spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at a meeting with the NUT to formally inform them of the ongoing joint investigations by the Ministry of Justice and the State Police Command into allegations of sexual violence in schools.

He charged the NUT to “take immediate and urgent action to identify the very few who are bringing the name of the union into disrepute,” saying, “Majority of teachers in the state are hardworking, many working diligently under difficult conditions to ensure that their students excel”.

The commissioner, who reminded NUT members of the zero-tolerance policy of Dr Kayode Fayemi’s administration for all forms of sexual violence, said: “preliminary investigations by my office showed that some of the members of NUT are raping their students in at least three secondary schools in the state”.

He said that the increasing number of allegations of rape incidents in schools caused his office to formally advise the Ekiti State Police Command on the need for a thorough investigation of the situation.

“By the provisions of that law, no child under the age of 18 can give consent for any sexual activity. Having sex with an under 18 is rape,” he said.

Fapohunda, who said that the establishment of the Sex Offenders Register in the State backed by the leadership provided by the first lady, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, had created awareness among the population, said this had resulted in an increase in complaints of sexual violence to his Ministry.

NUT State Chairman, Olusegun Olugbesan, who highlighted efforts of the teachers’ body to eradicate sexual violence in schools in the state, promised that the union would intensify its efforts on creating awareness among its members.

Olugbesan, who said that the NUT would take urgent additional measures in responding to the situation, said any teacher found culpable would be left to face the full wrath of the law.

The NUT chairman lauded the AG’s observation that the majority of the teachers in the state were hardworking and committed to their professional code of ethics.