The management of International School Ibadan (ISI), under the University of Ibadan (UI), has filed motions for a stay of execution regarding the judgment that permits female Muslim students to wear hijab over their school uniforms.
The motions were filed by UI, ISI, the Principal, and the UI Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic.
The legal cases, identified as M/413/19 to M/540/19, are scheduled for a hearing on July 10, 2024, before Justice Moshood Ishola in Court Six.
This development comes after the Oyo State High Court ruled on May 23, 2024, that ISI’s ban on hijab-wearing for female Muslim students was unconstitutional and illegal.
The court’s decision stemmed from a 2018 incident when ISI’s management prohibited female Muslim students from wearing hijabs, prompting the affected students, through their parents, to seek legal redress.
The presiding judge, Justice Moshood Ishola, found the ban to be a violation of the students’ fundamental rights as enshrined in Sections 38 and 42 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantee freedom of thought, religion, and education.
Justice Ishola stated that ISI, being a multi-religious public school, should allow any female Muslim student who wishes to wear a hijab to do so without hindrance.
He emphasized that denying this right infringes on their constitutional freedoms.
The judge also noted that the court must adhere to decisions made by superior courts on similar matters.
In his judgment, Justice Ishola declared, “The suit succeeds in its entirety, and I make no order as to damages as prayed by the petitioners.”
The suit was brought forward by 11 female Muslim students of ISI, who had sued the school through their parents for the right to wear hijabs.
The petitioners included Faridah Akerele, Aaliyah Dokpesi, Akhifah Dokpesi, Iman Akinoso, Hamdallah Olosunde, Aliyyah Adebayo, Moriddiyah Yekinni, Ikhlas Badiru, Mahmuda Babarinde, Roheemah Akinlusi, and Fareedah Moshood.
Reacting to the motions filed by ISI-UI, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, chairman of the ISI Muslim Parents Forum (ISI MPF), acknowledged the management’s right to seek legal redress, including filing appeals up to the Supreme Court.
He urged all parties to remain calm and hopeful for justice to prevail over falsehood and deceit.
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