Amnesty International has urged Nigerian authorities to launch an independent and impartial investigation into allegations of sexual harassment levelled by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a statement issued by Amnesty International Nigeria’s Director, Isa Sanusi, the organization emphasised the urgency of addressing the allegations rather than allowing them to be dismissed or ignored.
He warned that failing to act on the allegations could set a dangerous precedent, making it harder for victims of sexual harassment to seek justice while emboldening perpetrators.
“The National Assembly must not continue to look away while the allegations remain and are being bizarrely trivialized, unaddressed, and ignored,” he added.
Sanusi stressed that dismissing the case would have wider consequences, including reinforcing a culture where survivors of sexual harassment are discouraged from speaking out.
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“This is one case that the Nigerian authorities can use to show that there is zero tolerance for sexual harassment—no matter who is involved,” he stated.
Amnesty International also expressed concern that many women already fear speaking up due to scepticism and victim-blaming, which has created a culture of silence.
“The fear of not being believed, or even being blamed, is already creating a dangerous culture of silence that prevents women who have faced sexual harassment from seeking justice,” the statement read.
The human rights organisation called on the Nigerian government to take decisive action, ensuring that justice is served and that impunity for sexual misconduct is not tolerated at any level.
