Court of Appeal to deliver judgment on ban of hijab in Lagos today

The Lagos State arm of the Court of Appeal has slated Thursday to deliver judgment in a suit filed by Muslim students against the Lagos State government on the ban of wearing of hijab.

The court would determine whether or not students in public primary and secondary schools in Lagos State should be allowed to put on hijab (Muslims headscarf) with their school uniforms.

The special panel of the Court of Appeal set up to hear the case had on May 27 reserved its judgment on the matter.

During the panel hearing, the presiding justice, A.B. Gumel, had asked parties involved in the case to update their defence documents.

Other justices in the five-man panel set up by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa are Justice M. Fasanmi, Justice A. Jauro, Justice J.S. Ikejegh and Justice I. Jombo Ofor.

The case is between Asiyat Kareem (minor) suing through AbdulKareem Raji; Mariam Oyeniyi through Mr Sulaimon Oyeniyi; and Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, and Lagos State Government (LASG).

Justice Amina Augie had on May 3 ruled that granting Muslim students the right to wear hijab in Lagos State schools needed constitutional interpretation.

In the case, the appellants want the judgment of the lower court to be reversed.