Lawyer writes Dangote University Kano over corporal punishments
A practicing lawyer in Kano, Barr. Abba Hikima, has penned an open letter to the management of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil (formerly Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, KUST).
The letter addresses an incident labeled as barbaric and inhuman wherein a lecturer allegedly subjected students to corporal punishment.
Following the circulation of viral images depicting students of the institution being given corporal punishment for offenses such as tardiness and disrupting class, Barr. Abba Hikima expressed his concerns in the open letter.
He emphasised that the lecturer’s reported actions, if verified, are not only unconstitutional but also constitute degrading treatment and a violation of the students’ fundamental rights protected by S34 of Nigeria’s constitution.
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The letter read in part,’’If this is indeed true, then the lecturer’s action is not only outrightly unconstitutional, it also constitutes degrading treatment and violation of the students’ fundamental rights protected by S34 of Nigeria’s constitution.
‘’The KUST as an institution of learning founded by law, must strive to uphold the law and students’ fundamental rights by immediately restraining the lecturer and issuing a formal statement to that effect. ‘’
‘’This, the university must do as a matter of urgency to save its face from an impending embarrassment. Moreover, the university may be vicariously liable for doing nothing about the unconstitutional conduct of its employees.’’
‘’The affected lecturer must be sternly called out and the traumatized students made to understand that there is nothing in the law which permits a lecturer to behave the way the affected lecturer did. This I believe is key to ensuring that the university continues to graduate students with the necessary self-esteem needed to lead others in their chosen fields.’’
