Absence of Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja on Wednesday stalled the hearing of a suit challenging the proposed ban on the use of Hijab by female Muslim pupils in public schools in the state.
The suit was instituted by two minors and the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria against the Lagos State Government. Oyewole had fixed Wednesday for the parties to report the progress in their bid to settle the matter out of court. The suit was subsequently adjourned till October 28.
The minors – Miss Asiyat Abdulkareem and
Miss Maryam Oyeniyi – who are the first and second applicants
respectively, are 12 years old and pupils of Atunrashe Junior High
School, Surulere, Lagos State.
The minors are suing the government through their fathers – Alhaji Owolabi Abdulkareem and Mr. Suleiman Oyeniyi. Joined as respondents in the suit are
the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade
Ipaye; Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, and
Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Oyinlomo Danmole.
The applicants, through their counsel,
Mr. M Sanni, contended that banning female students from using Hijab on
or outside the premises of any educational institution in Lagos State
“is wrongful and unconstitutional”. They are urging the court to declare the
act as “wrong and unconstitutional as same constitutes a violation of
their (the applicants’) rights to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion, freedom from discrimination and rights of human persons and
right to education.” They are also seeking the court to give
an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from
“further interfering or infringing in any manner on the fundamental
rights of the first and second applicants and other female Muslim
students”.
Justice Oyewole had at the previous proceedings on May 27 urged parties to explore an out-of-court settlement of the dispute. Counsel for the state government, Mr.
Samuel Ajanaku, had told the court that the state had yet to file any
processes (court papers) in the suit.
culled from
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