Lagos govt loses as Supreme Court upholds use of hijab in schools

The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday, has allowed female Muslim students to wear hijab in Lagos State Government-owned schools.

The apex court dismissed an appeal by the Lagos State Government and upheld the earlier judgement of the Court of Appeal, which held that the ban on hijab was discriminatory against Muslim students in the state.

Justices on the panel were Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice Uwani Aji, Justice Mohammed Garba, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, and Justice Emmanuel Agim.

Wild jubilation greeted the verdict with the Amir (President) of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, Miftahudeen Thanni, and other members of the organisation seen shouting “God is great”.

The court upheld that the ban violated the Muslim students’ rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, the dignity of human persons and freedom from discrimination guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.