Federal Polytechnic Bauchi has enforced a strict directive requiring male and female students to maintain distance during the ongoing Ramadan period, prohibiting them from standing together as couples.
The institution’s management announced that students must avoid close physical proximity in pairs throughout the fasting month.
Any breach of the rule, the authorities warned, could result in disciplinary action, including what the polytechnic described as an immediate arrangement of a Nikkah (marriage) for violators.
According to the circular issued and signed by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Kamisu Salihu, on Thursday students are required to “respect the sanctity of the Polytechnic and avoid unnecessary closeness.”
“During the Holy month of Ramadan, standing together in a couple (boy & girl) is strictly prohibited,” it stated.
The notice added that any students found in violation would be responsible for organizing their own Walima, or wedding reception, should the arranged marriage be enforced.
The policy has, however, sparked widespread criticism on social media, with many commentators arguing that such measures amount to the imposition of religious codes within a federal academic institution.
