A high court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has thrown out a suit appealing the ban on wearing of the hijab by Muslim students in schools in the state.
The Muslim Students of Nigeria, represented by their lawyer Gani Adetola-Kazeem had sued the Lagos state government for issuing a ban on the use of all forms of headgear in primary and secondary schools in the state, arguing the ban violated their rights to freedom of thought, religion and education.
Delivering the judgement on Friday, October 17, 2014, Justice Modupe Onyeabor said guidelines on dress codes for public schools were the prerogative of the government since they funded and owned the schools.
Onyeabor said ruling in favour of the Muslims would negate section 10 of the 1999 constitution, and did not breach section 38 and 42 of the same constitution as claimed by the students.
Justice Onyeabor said, “The values of plurality and the respect for the rights of others who have subscribed to a non-faith based educational system cannot be breached. In that effect, the issue is resolved in favour of the respondents and the suit is accordingly dismissed.”
