Supreme Court uphold use of Hijab for Lagos public schools afta nine years of legal battle

Ladies wey wear hijab

Getty Images

Afta nine years of legal battle, di Supreme Court for Abuja don uphold di use of hijab by female Muslim students for Lagos State goment-owned schools.

Di court tok say di ban on di use of hijab violate di Muslim students’ rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, di dignity of human pesins and freedom from discrimination wey di 1999 Nigerian constitution guarantee.

Di court dismiss appeal by di Lagos State goment and uphold di earlier judgement of di Court of Appeal wey rule say di ban on hijab na discrimination against Muslim students for di state.

Di justice wey dey di panel na Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice Uwani Aji, Justice Mohammed Garba, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, and Justice Emmanuel Agim.

How di mata start

Di case bin start since 2013 wen two girls wey bin dey 12 years at dat time drag Lagos state goment to court afta dem ban wearing of hijab for public primary and secondary school for di state.

Di goment tok say hijab no dey part of di approved school uniform for pupils.

But di girls tell one Ikeja High Court to declare di ban as violation of dia rights to freedom of thoughts, religion and education.

However, di court uphold di ban on di use of hijab for public primary and secondary school for Lagos.

Na Justice Modupe Onyeabor give di ruling and dismiss di suit wey di girls institute against Lagos state goment.

She tok say di ban no violate sections 38 and 42 of di 1999 Constitution.

Di judge say section 10 of di constitution make Nigeria a secular state and goment must maintain neutrality all di time.

She say goment need to preserve di secular nature of schools and since na goment dey fund public schools, dem get right to issue dress code and oda guidelines to di students.

Di judge say di use of uniforms dey bring uniformity and encourage students to pursue dia academic aspiration without bringing religion into am.

She say if court grant di use of hijab for public and secondary schools, e fit destroy di uniformity wey goment dey try achieve.

Di judge bin also tok say di non-Hijab wearing students go feel inferior to dose wey dey wear am.

“We no fit breach di values of plurality and di respect for di rights of odas wey subscribe to a non-faith based educational system.

“In dat effect, di issue dey resolved in favour of di respondents and di suit dey accordingly dismissed,” di judge tok.

Di mata enta Court of Appeal

But di girls no dey satisfied wit di court decision and dem file an appeal and win am in 2016.

Di Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) bin react at dat time and dem describe di ruling as a victory for di rule of law.

“Di fact say di judgment dey unanimous and na only two of di five judges be Muslims leave firm stamp of authority on di legality of di use of hijab not only by female Muslim students but also by all Muslim women for di kontri,” MURIC tok.

E enta Supreme Court

However, Lagos State goment no gree and dem carry di mata go Supreme Court.

But di oga patapata of di Nigerian court don tok say ban on hijab na discrimination against Muslim students for Lagos and dem don finally bring di mata to conclusion.