UNILAG Warns Female Students: ‘Do Not Shake Hands Anyhow With Any Man’ in Safety Advisory

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has released a list of safety guidelines for female students aimed at reducing the risk of sexual harassment and rape on campus.

The advisory, issued by the university’s Student Affairs Division and displayed on a roll-up banner within the institution, comes amid concerns over reported cases of sexual assault involving students.

Among the recommendations, the university advised female students to exercise caution in their interactions with men, with one of the most prominent messages on the banner stating: “Do not shake hands anyhow with any man.”

Other safety tips on the banner read: “Do not dress to kill. Do not shake hands anyhow with any man. Do not mingle carelessly with men. Do not stay alone with a man in a hidden place. Do not seek unnecessary favour from men. Do not join to watch pornographic film/pictures. Do not accept intoxicants and be vigilant when you are served with drinks. Do not give in to pressure – be assertive.”

The advisory forms part of the university’s efforts to promote personal safety and raise awareness on measures students can take to protect themselves from sexual harassment and related offences on campus.

“Learn to say no. One-time sex can cause you pregnancy; if you don’t want it, don’t try it.”

According to the Student Affairs Division, the guidance forms part of its counselling efforts to educate female students on personal safety and ways to reduce the risk of sexual harassment and rape while on campus.

Read Also: NURAC Applauds UI, Unilag Ranking In Top 1000 Global Varsities

The University of Lagos has, in recent years, recorded incidents of sexual assault and rape within its community, prompting various awareness and counselling initiatives targeted at promoting students’ safety.

According to a report by The Punch earlier in April, a 20-year-old undergraduate of the university told an Ikeja High Court that she was allegedly raped by her lecturer, Dr Samuel Ojogbo.

The student, who testified during proceedings, made the allegation while being led in evidence by State Counsel, Mr Owolabi Azeez.

She told the court that the incident allegedly occurred on August 22, 2025, in the lecturer’s underground office within the university premises.

According to her, the defendant had engaged her during an examination on August 21 and later asked her to see him after the paper.

“I said yes, I knew a section better. He told me not to worry and to see him after the exam,” she said.

The student added that she visited his office twice but did not meet him until the following day during another examination he supervised.

“After the exam, I saw him, and he asked me to wait,” she said.

In 2019, the Lagos State government arraigned five students of the institution for gangraping a 17-year-old student (name withheld).