Supreme Court Approves Use of Hijab in Lagos Schools

Pat Stevens/

The Supreme Court has approved the use of hijab by female Muslim students in Lagos State Government-owned schools.

In a judgement delivered today, the  apex court dismissed an appeal filed  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.

In a split decision of five to two, a seven-member panel of Justices affirmed the July 21, 2016 judgement of the Lagos Court of Appeal, which set aside the October 17, 2014 judgement by Justice Grace Onyeabo of the Lagos State High Court, which upheld the hijab restriction.

The apex court in a judgement written by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and read by Justice Tijani Abubakar, dismissed the appeal filed by Lagos State Government against the 2016 judgement of the appellate court on the grounds that the appeal lacks merit.

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