The management of Kaduna Polytechnic has launched an inquiry into a controversy at its College of Business and Management Studies, where several students were reportedly denied access to lectures over alleged dress code violations.
The incident drew widespread attention after videos of students protesting outside the campus went viral on social media.
In one of the videos, a female student expressed frustration, insisting that her attire was modest and appropriate.
She claimed that although security personnel initially allowed her onto the campus, she was later stopped from entering by officials enforcing the dress code.
“I am fully covered, my trousers reach the ground. There is nothing wrong with what I’m wearing,” she said. “Security cleared me to enter, but one man called me back.”
The student also lamented the financial loss incurred by those who had spent money on transportation to attend lectures, only to be turned away over what she described as minor infractions.
“People wasted transport to come to school, and you are sending them back for very useless things,” she said.
She further added that some students were barred for having sleeves considered too short, despite the rest of their outfits being modest.
She challenged the justification for the enforcement, saying: “Tell me why this lady cannot enter because the sleeves of her shirt are short.
Her breast is not showing, her clothes reach the ground, and yet you say the sleeves are short?”
The student criticized the policy as excessive, particularly when students were asked to remove nail polish or alter their clothing before attending lectures. “I am not in primary school. If I were, I would understand.
But I am not. I paid school fees to learn, not to be harassed over clothes,” she said.
She also alleged that this strict enforcement had been ongoing for about one to two weeks and called on the institution’s management to intervene.
In response, Kaduna Polytechnic acknowledged the viral video and clarified that the students’ clothing appeared modest and appropriate.
In a statement signed by the Deputy Registrar, Information and Protocol, Mr. Godwin B. Ayegba, the institution said the affected students should not have been prevented from attending lectures.
“The dresses worn by the students, as seen in the videos, appear moderate and suitable.
They ought not to have been barred from lectures on this basis,” the statement said.
The management explained that while the polytechnic maintains a dress code to promote decency, professionalism, and a conducive learning environment, enforcement must be fair and within the approved guidelines. “The Dress Code Committee is mandated to enforce this policy in line with established regulations.
However, enforcement must not be carried out in an extreme or arbitrary manner,” the statement added.
Kaduna Polytechnic confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the facts and identify any lapses in applying the dress code policy.
Ayegba said appropriate measures would be taken to ensure fairness and prevent a recurrence of what the school described as “overzealous enforcement.”
The institution urged students to channel complaints through official channels rather than social media, reaffirming its commitment to discipline while safeguarding students’ access to education.
“Kaduna Polytechnic remains dedicated to fostering a disciplined, respectful, and academically focused campus environment for the benefit of all stakeholders,” the statement concluded.