An advocacy group, the Elegant Nurses Forum (ENF), has petitioned the Ogun State Commissioner of Police to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against student nurses at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta.
The petition also alleges that the complaints were suppressed by a senior nursing official.
The petition, signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide, concerns two student nurses from the Ogun State College of Nursing Sciences who were on clinical posting at the hospital. It names a male porter, Mr Ajayi, as the subject of the complaints, and the hospital’s Head of Nursing Sciences, Mrs Abosede Ganiyat Fagoyinbo, over her handling of the matter. None of the allegations has been tested in court, and no charges have been reported.
According to the petition, the Student Union Government (SUG) of the College of Nursing documented both complaints in a report dated 25 September 2026 and forwarded it to FMC Abeokuta’s management for investigation.
In the first complaint, a student nurse reported that on 24 September 2026, while she slept during a break on night duty at the Male Medical Ward, the porter allegedly touched her without her consent and attempted to sexually assault her. She said the incident left her in shock and fear and made her feel unsafe at work.
The report states that the matter was immediately brought to the Chief Nurse on duty, and a meeting followed involving the student, the Chief Nurse, the porter and another student who had reportedly raised concerns about the same man. According to the student’s account, the porter accepted responsibility and begged for forgiveness.
In the second complaint, another student reported that on 23 September 2026, after the man offered her his bed because none was designated for her, he allegedly returned while she slept, lay beside her, covered her with a cloth and made a sexual advance. She said she stopped him and left the bed immediately. The SUG also noted that another student had earlier raised concerns about the same porter, and asked that this be independently verified.
The ENF further alleges that when the Head of Nursing Sciences was informed, she did not ensure the matter was formally reported but instead told the students to keep it secret, act as if nothing had happened and move on. The group also says it received an allegation that the students were punished after reporting. These claims are based on information received by the ENF. The petition itself describes them as allegations to be investigated, and says that if established, the conduct would be “extremely serious.”
In support of its call for police action, the ENF points to constitutional guarantees of human dignity (Sections 34(1) and 17(2)(b)) and the State’s duty to protect workers’ welfare (Section 17(3)). It also cites the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, whose Section 46 defines sexual harassment, and Ogun State’s own Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law.
The group further invokes ILO Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work, which Nigeria ratified on 8 November 2022. It says the Convention covers persons in training and requires safe reporting and investigation channels and protection against retaliation, and adds that the accompanying ILO Recommendation No. 206 flags health-sector and night work as areas needing particular attention.
“Confidentiality is for protecting victims. It must never be used as a weapon for protecting alleged perpetrators,” the petition states.
The ENF is asking the police to open an independent criminal investigation into the allegations against Mr. Ajayi, interview the affected students with dignity and protect them from intimidation, and examine the earlier complaint reportedly raised against the porter. It also wants police to investigate whether the Head of Nursing Sciences tried to suppress or obstruct the reporting of an alleged crime, and whether her conduct amounts to aiding, abetting or obstruction.
The group is also asking police to secure evidence, including CCTV footage, duty rosters, ward and security records, messages and statements, and to review the arrangements for student nurses’ rest and supervision on night duty. It wants students, witnesses and whistleblowers protected from retaliation, and an inquiry into whether any official used institutional or political influence to frustrate the investigation. Finally, it asks that the case file be forwarded for prosecution if evidence supports it, and that the ENF be given an acknowledgement of the petition and updates on progress.
The petition also asks police to verify, from their own records, claims about earlier matters involving the Head of Nursing Sciences. It stresses that the group is not offering these as proof of guilt.
The ENF says it is not seeking trial by media. “If Mr. Ajayi is innocent, a proper investigation will establish that,” the petition says, and it makes the same point about Mrs. Fagoyinbo. “Justice must not depend on the position of the accused.” The group described itself as an advocacy body for nurses and student nurses and said it will not “stand by” while students are allegedly exposed to harassment or abuse.
