'No bra, no exam' rule sparks outrage after video goes viral

A Nigerian university has come under fire after a video of staff seemingly touching female students to check whether or not they were wearing a bra ahead of taking an exam went viral online.

In the clip, several ladies in attendance at Olabisi Onabanjo University in south-western Ogun State could be seen queueing up to enter the facilities examination all before being approached by staff.

The professors - all of whom were female - could then be seen touching the chest regions of the students as they prepared to sit their tests.

According to CNN, students confirmed the video was shot at their university, however, it is unknown when the video was taken. Olabisi Onabanjo University have yet to officially comment on the incident.

Following immediate backlash prompted by the video doing the rounds on social media, a student leader at the university attempted to defend the protocol, claiming that refusing to wear a bra goes against the institute's dress code.

Several spokespeople for the university have addressed the controversy (X/Olabisi Onabanjo)

Said dress code, they added, assists in maintaining 'a distraction-free environment', the BBC reports. The unnamed student leader acknowledged, however, that the policy on clothing being enforced in such a way could be seen as controversial.

A Human Right Network campaign member has also spoken out on the hotly-debated clip, telling the BBC that the female students in the video are well within their right to sue the university for violation.

Haruna Ayagi told the publication: "Unwarranted touches on another person's body is a violation and could lead to legal action. The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing."

One of the female students in the video has since come forward, anonymously telling the publication that the university's strict clothing code is a moral issue, adding that the institution has no religious alignments.

However, she further claimed that their clothes were always being checked.

The President of Olabisi Onabanjo University's student union, Muizz Olatunji, has since reiterated the aim behind the intimate uniform checks online, and even shared a screenshot of the institution's official dress code on X.

The school's Code of Conduct listed types of clothing that would be deemed inappropriate (OOU Portal)

In the 'indecent dressing' code, it lists a ban on attire 'capable of making the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner', such as 'any dressing by a student which shows sensitive parts of the student's body, such as breasts, buttocks, nipples and belly-buttons'.

"[The university promotes] a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a respectful and distraction-free environment, encouraging students to dress modestly and in line with the institution's values," Olatunji continued.

In his statement, the student union rep added that the policy is far from new, and that the union had 'engaged with the institution to explore alternative approaches to addressing indecent dressing, focusing on respectful and dignified interactions between students and staff' previously.

LADbible Group has contacted Olabisi Onabanjo University for comment.