The traditional ruler of Taabaa community in the Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mene Nule, has denied carrying out virginity testing on female students at Government Comprehensive High School, Taabaa.
The monarch described the allegations as the handiwork of some persons in the community seeking to tarnish his image.
Authorities of the school had written to the State Ministry of Education over an alleged plan by the monarch and his team to conduct virginity tests on female students.
The letter from the school, dated October 12, was addressed to the Ministry of Education, signed by the school’s vice-principal, Bieh Gloria, and obtained by our correspondent.
The statement was titled, “Report Against Invasion, Plan To Take Over Of The School Farm, Damages, Assault And Dehumanisation Of Female Virgin Student Of Government Comprehensive High School, Taabaa By His Royal Highness Mene M.S.K Nule And His Subordinates.”
The letter partly reads, “That for the past seven years, the Royal Highness and his council members have been coming into the school, selecting and collecting data of some of our female students in demand to carry out a virginity test on them for award of scholarship and two 60-leaf exercise books.”
Following this, the state Ministry of Education said it had launched an investigation into reports that female students at the school were selected for alleged forced virginity testing.
The ministry, in a statement dated October 22, 2026, and signed by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Mina Tele Ikuru, condemned the reported incident, saying the alleged exercise involved members of a traditional institution in the community.
According to the statement published on its Facebook page on Thursday, the ministry said persons claiming to represent the institution visited the school under the guise of offering scholarships and exercise books before allegedly selecting students for testing.
The ministry said the selection, which reportedly took place on Thursday, September 17, 2026, prompted objections and a peaceful protest by students.
It described the allegations as serious, noting that they raised concerns about the dignity, privacy, and fundamental rights of schoolchildren.
But, when contacted, the monarch expressed worry that what he termed his intentions for his alma mater and a hand of fellowship to the students were being misconstrued.
Nule said he had been giving back to the school since 2004 when he was an undergraduate.
The monarch explained that he introduced a “virginity roll call” in 2020 after receiving reports that some teachers were molesting female students.
“I went to the school with my team, and the teachers always go with us,” he stated.
“We went from class to class and asked those who are virgins to stand up, and it was only one female student who stood up.”
“I advised them to focus on their education and not indulge in early sexual activities. When people want to destroy an innocent and good person, they will go to any lengths and use people that are most favourable to them.”
“That is the school that I attended, Government Comprehensive High School, Taabaa. And that is the place where I come from, and right now I am speaking as a king that was installed in 2012.”
He added, “I have been returning to that school as far back as 2004. I was still in the university when I started supplying that school with chalk from JSS 1 to SS 3, and from 2004 till date, I have never stopped.”
“In 2012, when I became king, I told myself that it could not be only chalk again; I started giving books and school bags.”
“In 2019, when there was all manner of news coming from the school about how the students are abusing themselves, including their lecturers [teachers] abusing the female students, we started our preaching against that act and why students should focus on their studies and remain virgins.”
The monarch further said he continued the gesture annually, and by 2025, he identified four students who stood up as virgins and rewarded them with N20,000 each.
He denied taking any student to a health centre or a doctor for virginity testing as alleged, maintaining that his efforts were helping the students and the school progress.
Nule said he had never subjected his own daughter to such a process at home, let alone someone else’s children, and challenged anyone with proof against him to come forward.
According to him, “It’s difficult to know people from your first encounter; if not, you should have known me. If anybody can prove that… do I look like a bad man? Have I not done enough that I will carry somebody’s child to go and do a test, for what?”
“I have children. Come to my house now, you will see. I have a daughter, and I have never done that to my daughter. All the things that I use are my voice to talk to her, to counsel her.”
“Then what I will do is to struggle with myself with the little name that I have with people’s children. That is madness.”