Hijab: NACOMYO expresses confidence in Supreme Court

THE National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), Lagos State chapter, has expressed confidence in the ability of the Supreme Court to do justice in the case in which the state government is challenging the judgment of the Appeal Court which affirmed the right of Muslim students to put on hijab in public schools.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos recently, the state coordinator of the organisation, Mr Abdfattah Olanrewaju Muheeb, charged Muslims to exercise patience while awaiting the judgment of the apex court.

“It is our belief and that of all Muslims that Allah who spoke through the mind of justices of the Court of Appeal remains alive and still has the ability to speak through the minds of the eminent justices of the Supreme Court who are to sit on the matter,” NACOMYO stated.

The Court of Appeal had on July 21 given a judgment unanimously affirming the rights of female Muslim students to wear Hijab.

The Lagos state government subsequently filed an appeal at the Supreme Court with an application for stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s judgement.

The Lagos NACOMYO, however, commended the state government for the passage of the Property Protection Law (land grabber’ law) which criminalised the excesses of land grabbers, popularly known as Omo Onile, who “harass” property owners in the state.

It charged the government to ensure effective implementation of the law without showing partiality.

“We advise the state government not to allow politicians and some highly placed individuals to disrupt or hijack the implementation of the laudable objectives of the law.”

The organisation also advised the members of the public to obtain valid documents for their lands and acquaint themselves with the provisions of the law to take maximum advantage.

“We advise property owners to obtain and validate their land documents in order to have something for the law to protect from the nefarious activities of land grabbers”, NACOMYO added.

The umbrella body of Muslim youth organisations in the country also tasked Lagosians to take proper care of their environment, while condemning the attitude of some citizens who block drainage channels with plastic bottles, disposable packs and other forms of refuse heaps.

It also charged the state government to provide necessary equipment and human resources for maintaining the environment.