By Fathiu Ayomide
It was a busy day. After the marathon lecture, Yusau Habeeb Babatunde, a 200L law student, headed to Jubril Aminu Masjid to perform prayer. As part of the custom in the masjid, Babatunde queued for a kettle due to its insufficiency in the masjid.
After the kettle was handed over to him, he decided to purify himself—he headed to the masjid toilet. Reaching there, he was shocked about the status of the toilet; he couldn’t make use of it because the fear of vomiting captured his mind.
“The toilets are extremely poor. Using the toilet makes me feel like vomiting.”
Despite the existence of toilets, many students like Babatunde have opted for an alternative and would always prefer to pass out their urine before and after prayer in the bush because the toilets have been misused and the messy condition can’t be bearable.
“Some people have resorted to using the bushes as an alternative to toilets due to the deplorable condition of the mosque’s facilities.The lack of proper cleaning materials and equipment has exacerbated the problem.”
The Jubril Aminu Mosque is one of the mosques in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) regulated by the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) located at the main campus, serving as the main mosque after the Central Mosque. Despite its impressive facilities, the mosque’s five-space toilet facilities are a major letdown.
More Yells
Adam Abdulraheem, a 200 level law student frustrated by the deplorable state of the toilets. To him, the toilets have been in a terrible condition for about two years, as he was informed by his seniors.
“If I want to use the toilet, I have to search for a clean spot.”
To curb this incessant situation, Adam emphasized that the maintenance of the toilets is not solely the responsibility of the MSSN but also includes students. To him, if the toilets were hygienic, it would be abuse by some students.
“Even if the committee provides cleaning services, some students will still misuse the facilities. We, as students, should take ownership of maintaining the toilets. We should use them responsibly and contribute to their upkeep, just as the committee is doing its best to address the issue.”
“The toilet is not cleaned frequently. Although it is cleaned, the way students use it makes it become dirty again,” said Yusuff Horlatunji.
Unhygienic Toilet Can Lead to Infection
Frequent use of the toilet can cause infection according to Abdullahi Nurudeen, 200L Pure Chemistry student. He emphasized that the toilet can cause disease which can’t be treated.
“Using the toilet can lead to a different disease especially for male, it causes a disease that can never be treated for ever. The toilet is too bad.
Yusuf zakariya a 300L slamic studies student, said, “the toilet lack sanitation, and mentorship.”
According to a paper presented by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the 22nd of March 2024, toilets with poor facilities can cause transmissions of diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera and dysentery, as well as typhoid, intestinal worm infections, and polio.
Also, a study by Biomedical Central has shown that poor sanitary conditions in toilets can damage health, leading to an increase in the incidence of infectious diseases, and causing environmental deterioration.
MSSN Weighs in
Abdurahman Abdulhakeem, a 400L law student and General Secretary of the MSSN emphasized on the measure they have taken to curb the unwelcoming usage of toilets by the students.
“We have taken the necessary steps to address the issue. Our goal is to ensure the toilet is sanitized and well-maintained. Although our administration began in 2025, the issue has been complained about for years, and we have been committed to finding a solution.”
He explained the time when students mostly abuse the toilets. To him, the students commit this atrocities during the night when everything is dark.
“The people who misuse this toilet often use it at the wrong times, typically at night when everything is quiet in school, when we thoroughly clean the toilet, it becomes dirty again within two or three days.”
“Despite the complaints from students, rules and regulations for toilet usage have been established, but many students fail to follow them. In fact, cleaning materials like detergents, shovels, kafura, and others are regularly provided for the toilet’s maintenance. One person in the masjid his name is Kudame, is responsible for sanitizing the toilet and monitoring its usage.”