By Joseph Joy

In a bid to curb riding cases if sexual assaults withing its pricinct, the management of Benue State University (BSU), has announced a ban on dreadlock hairs, make-up, skirts above knees, leg chains, sagging, dyeing of hair and other certain dress codes it deemed inappropriate and immodest.

The task force committee set up by the university disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday warned that the institution would sanction any student found violating the approved dress code.

The statement specifically pointed out various types of dressing that would henceforth be prohibited in the university by both genders

“BOYS: No sagging, No Make up, No dreading of hair (dada), No dyeing of hair (coloring of hair), No wearing of shorts/three quarter trousers to Lectures, No leaving of hair uncombed, No wearing of armless shirts, No wearing of earring, No plaiting of hair, No keeping of heavy beards, No wearing crazy trousers, and other indecencies.

“GIRLS: No body hug, No wearing of armless clothes, No dyeing of hair (coloring of hair), No wearing short, No exposure of sensible parts of the body, No Leg chain, No Nose ring, No putting of multiple earrings (only one earring is allowed).

“No folding of shirts on a trouser or skirt, only black and brown color attachment is allowed, No wearing of crazy trousers, No wearing of skirts above the knees, No wearing of leggings without long top (shirt) and other related indecencies.

“Students should adhere to these rules, failure to comply shall attract sanctions from the university Management,” the statement reads.

A number of Nigerian universities have in the recent past announced dress codes and uniform wearing among the students. The Enugu State University of Science and Technology ESUT, championed this in late 2000s, the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN adopted it.

Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU Ile Ife, and the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko introduced dress code for their undergraduates recently.

In August 2023 the OAU announced the imposition of a dress code on its students by banning any skimpy dress or one that covers faces.

The school management had said sexually provocative dresses would no longer be allowed in the school.

The university had also banned sagging of trousers or knickers for males and females, hair braiding for males, nose, mouth, eye or extra rings, crop/jump tops, unconventional wearing of caps, tattoo/indelible markings for males, multi-coloured braid for females, haircuts with inscriptions, T-shirts with obscene inscriptions depicting immorality, hooliganism, etc., heavy make-ups, rumpled and dirty clothes, and hair plaiting or weaving by male students.

The introduction of dress code or uniform wearing among students is considered on e of the approaches towards averting cases of sexual assault rampant in the tertiary institutions.