A non-governmental organisation, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy (CISLAC), has launched a platform for Nigerian students, particularly females, to report cases of sexual exploitation, code-named “sextortion.”

The platform, tagged ‘TIMBY App’ is to enable victims to report cases of sexual abuse, seek psychological support and redress.

Speaking at a one-day sensitisation programme for tertiary institutions in Lagos State, one of the board members, Hadiza Kangiwa, said the event was aimed at educating students of tertiary institutions in Lagos on sexual exploitation, particularly from the anti-corruption perspective.
 
Kangiwa said the programme was part of activities put up by the group to address issues of “sextortion” experienced by students in higher institutions.
  
“The idea is for students to speak out, seek redress and psychological support as we are looking at it from an anti-corruption perspective. Some boys also experience abuse and harassment, hence, the stereotype by the society that females are the only victims of sextortion should be reconsidered,’’ she said.
 
Kangiwa advised participants to take advantage of TIMBY APP to get justice, saying in most cases, those abused are ignorant of the means to get help or apprehend perpetrators.
  
She added that it was in the quest to find a solution to reports of sexual abuse that CISLAC launched the App, a physical complaint and reporting channels.

In his presentation titled: “ Sexual Exploitation In Nigerian Tertiary Institutions: A manifestation of Corruption and the Role of ICPC, President, Anti-corruption Commissioner in Lagos, Kabir Elelu, said as leaders of tomorrow, sexual harassment is not something young people should learn to tolerate; rather, it must be confronted and stopped.
 
The ICPC chief explained that the programme was aimed at bringing students of tertiary institutions across Lagos together with a view to educating them on the issue of sexual exploitation in schools.
 
Besides, Elelu said it was to teach students the importance of speaking out and appropriate available channels through which they can report to get support and redress.
  
While shedding more light on the programme, Mrs Bathsheba Tagwai, CISLAC Legal Officer, said it was to educate students on the ills of sextortion.

“The thinking by the society that females are the only victims of sextortion should be reconsidered, there are cases where males fall, victims, even though not so prevalent,’’ she said.
   
Tagwai said the NGO had taken the sensitisation to Abuja, (North Central); Akwa-Ibom, (South South) and Lagos, (South West), while plans are in progress to take the campaign to other states.

Meanwhile, one of the participants, Mr Oluwaseun Waheed, a Lagos State University (LASU) student, described the programme as a wonderful initiative.

Waheed said the programme on sextortion has exposed him an approach to assisting colleagues that are affected.

“I have learnt about ‘TIMBY’ App courtesy of CISLAC. The take-home which I will use in my position as a student union leader is to ensure that other students benefit.

“We are going to infuse five minutes pep talk in our orientation programme and student union activity week, to further create awareness on sextortion and how to access the App”,’’ he said.
   
He said there was a need to extend the awareness to primary and secondary schools to instil the knowledge in children early enough.

Also, Miss Ijeoma Edozie, Student, Harvard College Business and Management Studies, Abeokuta, said that sextortion had been a major challenge faced by students, particularly females in the course of academic pursuit.

Edozie said that TIMBY App would curb the activities of perpetrators since they would be apprehended and made to face the law if caught.
   
“With TIMBY App, such cases will be tackled and the quest to eradicate sextortion in higher institutions will be achieved. There are legal bodies partnering with the NGO involved in this race,” she added.
 
Over 150 students from LASU, Federal College of Education, Akoka, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Adeniran Ogunsanya University of Education, Michael Otedola College of Education, and Harvard College Business and Management Studies, Abeokuta, participated in the one-day programme.