The Court of Appeal in Ibadan, Oyo State, reverses an earlier High Court decision that allowed female Muslim students of the University of Ibadan International School (ISI) to wear hijab with school uniforms. Multiple reports say the Court of Appeal orders parties to maintain the status quo pending the outcome of the appeal, and it subsequently sets/adjourns further proceedings.
In the appealed matter, reporting indicates the Court of Appeal holds that ISI is a private school and that the Supreme Court’s earlier hijab ruling applies to public schools rather than private institutions. One reported basis for the decision is that the students allegedly waived their right to wear hijab by signing an undertaking to follow the school’s rules and regulations. The decision is described in some accounts as a split ruling, with two justices in the majority and at least one justice dissenting and affirming the High Court’s view that restricting hijab violated the pupils’ rights.
The underlying dispute began in 2018 after some students reportedly wore hijab to the school premises. The case has drawn continuing legal and public attention as hijab-related rules in schools remain a recurring issue in Nigeria.
