The management of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, has stirred intense national controversy following the issuance of a restrictive directive aimed at regulating the social behavior of its students during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Naijauniversitynews reports that in a circular dated February 25, 2026, and signed by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Alh. Kamisu Salihu, the institution explicitly forbade male and female students from “standing together in couples” on campus grounds.
The directive warned that any students caught in breach of this policy would be subjected to an immediate arranged Nikkah (Islamic marriage), adding that the parties involved would be responsible for funding their own wedding feast (Walima).
The notice, which urged students to “respect the sanctity of the Polytechnic and avoid unnecessary closeness,” has been met with swift and widespread condemnation from across Nigeria’s socio-political spectrum.
Human rights activists and social media commentators have slammed the policy as an overreach of religious authority within a federal institution.
Many have argued that such a mandate contradicts the secular nature of Nigeria’s educational system and infringes upon the fundamental rights of students to freedom of association.
Critics on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) have likened the policy to “Taliban-style” governance, raising alarms over the perceived “Islamization” of government-owned higher education centers.
The backlash has also tapped into broader concerns regarding religious extremism and the application of Sharia-influenced codes in Northern Nigeria.
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