Lagos Court Upholds Govt. Ban On Hijab In Public Schools

 

                     Information coming in from the Lagos High Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, western Nigeria, informs that the court has upheld the ban by the Lagos State Government prohibiting the wearing of muslim scarf, hijab, in government owned primary and secondary schools.

According to P.Mnews report, the judgement was delivered by Justice Grace Onyeabo early this morning in Lagos.
Details of the judgement is however, still being expected.
Meanwhile, it would be recalled that scores of Muslim Students had recently stormed the office of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola to protest the alleged banning of Muslim students from wearing Hijab in public schools.

The protesters, led by Assistant -General Secretary, Muslim Students Society (MSS), Zhikirul-lahi Sulaiman, brandished placards with inscriptions including ‘Hijab is our right”, “Stop this Hijabophobia” and blocked the entrance to the office of the governor.
Commenting on the situation, Sulaiman said incessant victimisation of Hijab-wearing pupils in Lagos schools was giving the Muslim Students Society concerns.

Students wearing Hijab

He added such victimisation against Muslim pupils was an infringement on the constitutional rights of pupils.
” What is happening in some public schools in the state is no more acceptable. It is clearly an infringement of the rights of the students and so a clear violation of the constitution,” he said.
“Imagine a JSS one student of Kadara Junior school, Ebutte Metta was recently given 43 strokes of the cane by one of her teachers just because she wore Hijab to school.
“Barira Tajudeen, another student of Mafoluku Senior Grammar School, Oshodi was on 20 February suspended by her school authorities for covering her head with Hijab.

Protesting Hijab wearing students

“This is one harassment, too many. The constitution of the country recognises the right of everyone to practice any religion of his choice. This ugly trend must stop”, he added.
Sulaiman urged the Lagos state governor to ensure official recognition Hijab as part of school uniform in the state, saying that was the only step to halt what he called “arbitrary harassment of our pupils in Hijab”.
Addressing the protesters, the Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Oyinlomo Danmole, said the state government understands concerns and was taking appropriate steps to ensure such things never occurred again.