Participants at the one-day Stakeholders Consultative Dialogue on Anti-Bullying in Schools organised in Abuja on Friday… Photo Credit: Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis
Elegbede Abiodun
The Federal Government on Friday released emergency hotlines for victims of bullying, schools and parents to report cases for prompt action.
The helplines were unveiled at a one-day Stakeholders Consultative Dialogue on Anti-Bullying in Schools organised in Abuja by International Alert Nigeria.
The event was attended by students, parents, school owners, activists, members of the National Youth Service Corps and government officials.
School bullying, which includes physical, verbal and psychological abuse, remains widespread in Nigeria, with studies showing that between 70 and 85 per cent of students have experienced it.
In his address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan, represented by the Assistant Director (Gender), Augustina Apakasa, said the ministry had set up reporting channels under its anti-bullying framework.
She said, “At the Implementation Committee on Anti-Bullying in the Federal Ministry of Education, we have a hotline that you can call. In fact, they are two numbers. For calls, you can reach us on 09012660044 while the other number to send us a message on WhatsApp is 08052536133.
“For those who want to write us via email, the address is antibullying@education.gov.ng. Once we receive your call, mail or message on WhatsApp, rest assured that action will be taken.”
Also, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Binta Bello, represented by the Director, Violence Against Persons Prohibition, Rebecca Enwusoyele, said the agency had provided a toll-free short code.
She said, “NAPTIP has a short code for students and victims of bullying to reach us. The hotline is 627. It is toll-free and the email address is @naptip.com.gov. At the agency, we’ve been given the mandate to implement the provisions of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015.
“Although bullying is not expressly provided, but there are sections that we use to handle such cases when they are reported to us. We have sections on intimidation, threat and willfully placing somebody in a position of fear.”
The NAPTIP DG explained that Section 2 of the law, which deals with the infliction of injury, alongside other sections on intimidation, threats and fear, provides a legal basis to intervene in bullying incidents, as the Act broadly seeks to eliminate all forms of violence in both private and public spaces.
She added that depending on the severity, offenders—especially minors—are often counselled or warned, with authorities sometimes using the threat of prosecution or detention to deter repeat behaviour.
“In one case, there was a particular boy who refused to expose the perpetrator. He was actually bullied and sodomised in the school. During our investigation, we visited the school but the management was not willing to cooperate.
“In fact, there is a school for Persons with Disabilities presently in Abuja now. What they encourage in that school is that once some children are discovered to be having sex with each other, and one gets pregnant along the line, they call their parents and make the offenders marry each other. We are still looking into that,” she stated.
Commander of the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre, Emmanuel Ocheja also asked the public to make use of its hotline.
“Our number is always available to the public. Call us on 09131232323,” Ocheja, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Adebola Adeoye, added.
Addressing journalists on the sidelines, the Programme Manager of International Alert Nigeria, Sunday Jimoh, said a communiqué and advocacy note would be produced at the end of the dialogue.
He said, “There is going to be a communique at the end of this event. An advocacy note will also be developed. The essence is to now be able to approach policymakers.
“I am sure you are aware there is a Bill on bullying already in Nigeria. It was passed in 2026. The essence of implementation is one of the key things being discussed today. We need to see how we can bring stakeholders and everyone on board to address this issue.”
