The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has called for an independent investigation into allegations of virginity testing of female students, threats against school staff, and destruction of crops at Government Comprehensive High School, Taabaa, in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The organisation also urged the state government to protect the students, secure the school’s farmland and prevent possible reprisals against teachers who reportedly raised concerns about the alleged practices.
YEAC-Nigeria’s Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, disclosed this in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, following a report dated October 12, 2026, allegedly submitted by the school’s staff and signed by the Vice Principal, Ms Bieh Gloria.
According to the report, the traditional ruler of Taabaa, His Royal Highness Mene M.S.K. Nule, and members of his council had visited the school over the past seven years to select female students for virginity testing under the guise of awarding scholarships and exercise books.
The report alleged that 16 female students were selected for the exercise on September 17, 2026, prompting objections from students and a peaceful protest.
The school staff also accused individuals allegedly acting on the monarch’s instructions of invading the school on October 8 and destroying cassava crops on its farm in an attempt to take over and share the land.
The individuals named in the report were Pyagbara Prosper Neeuwe, Lekpa Barilunanee Donald and Promise Kabaari.
The staff further alleged that teachers who challenged the exercise and questioned why boys were excluded had been threatened with dismissal and assassination.
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However, Nule denied the allegations when contacted by YEAC-Nigeria, according to the organisation.
The traditional ruler reportedly said he introduced what he described as a virginity roll call in 2020 following complaints that some teachers were sexually molesting female students.
He said he subsequently visited the school with his team and asked female students who were virgins to stand up, adding that only one student responded during the first exercise.
According to him, the initiative was intended to encourage students to concentrate on their education and avoid early sexual activity.
Nule reportedly said the exercise continued annually, with four students identifying themselves as virgins in 2025 and receiving N20,000 each. He also claimed that 17 students identified themselves as virgins during the 2026 exercise.
The monarch denied taking students to a health centre for virginity testing, maintaining that his intervention was intended to benefit the students and the school.
He also accused a prominent Taabaa indigene, Rt. Hon. Leyii Kwanee, a former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and 2023 Zenith Labour Party governorship candidate, of masterminding the allegations.
Nule alleged that Kwanee was attempting to portray his initiative negatively because of a disagreement over traditional leadership in the community.
He further claimed that Kwanee had visited the school and described him as a ritualist over the exercise.
Kwanee, in a separate interview with our correspondent, condemned the reported virginity-testing exercise, describing it as barbaric and contrary to the law.
He also condemned the alleged violence but said he could not determine the motive behind the reported actions, adding that those involved should explain their reasons to the public.
Reacting to the allegations, YEAC-Nigeria said the reported incidents raised serious concerns about the rights, dignity and safety of female students.
The organisation called on the Rivers State Ministries of Education and Women Affairs, alongside the State Senior Secondary Schools Board, to establish an independent fact-finding committee to investigate the allegations.
It urged the Ministry of Education and the Khana Local Education Authority to protect the privacy and safety of the students involved and ensure that no further virginity-testing exercises were conducted.
The organisation also called for the protection of the school’s farmland against alleged encroachment and urged the state government to safeguard Bieh and other staff members who signed the report from possible retaliation.
It further asked the Rivers State Police Command to investigate the alleged threats against the teachers.
YEAC-Nigeria appealed to the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Child Protection Network and other civil society organisations working on child protection and gender-based violence to intervene.
It also urged the Khana and Rivers State councils of traditional rulers to investigate the allegations and take measures to prevent their recurrence.
“Every girl-child has the right to education in a safe environment free from sexual degrading treatment and intimidation,” Fyneface said.
The organisation added that school farms should be preserved for agricultural education and practical training rather than appropriated for private interests.
It urged all parties to remain peaceful and allow due process to take its course to prevent a breakdown of law and order in Taabaa.
Community members interviewed about the incident reportedly said concerns over the practice had persisted for years. They alleged that students selected for the exercise were asked to write down their names and referred to a health centre for medical examinations.
Some community members also expressed concern that fear of possible consequences had prevented people from speaking out about the alleged practices.
