Furoe Over Court Of Appeal’s Judgment Voiding Wearing Of Hijab By Muslim Students

The Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC, on Saturday, July 4, 2026, vehemently condemned the decision of the Court of Appeal to reject an earlier trial Court’s ruling upholding the right of Muslim students to wear hijab as part of their uniforms.

This is as the Incorporated Trustees of the Muslim Rights  Concern, MURIC, on Friday, July 3, 2026, approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria, seeking a reversal of the Appeal Court’s judgment.

The source reports that the Appellate court had, on Friday,  in a two-to-one split judgment, nullified the ruling of an Oyo State High Court on May, 22, 2024, affirming the right of 11 female students of the University of Ibadan, International School, ISI, to wear hijab on top of their uniforms.

Ruling on the motion on notice filed by the students against the School, the trial court held that the authorities of the ISI has no power to prevent the students from wearing the hijab as part of their uniforms.

However, the Appellate Court while delivering judgment on the appeal filed by the ISI Management held that the Supreme Court verdict upholding the right of students to wear hijab to school is only in respect of publicly funded schools, and not applicable to private institutions.

The Appeal Court panel led by Justice Biobele Georgewill, with Justice K I Amadi concurring, further ruled that the affected students, having willingly signed the institution’s code of conduct documents, have agreed to subject their rights to the extant rules and regulations governing the operations of the School.

But in a statement issued on Saturday by its Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, the MPAC described the Court of Appeal verdict as biased, and devoid.of fairness needed in resolving the dress code dispute.

The Muslim right group particularly berated the Appallate court’s decision to reduce citizens’ religious freedom to something that can be determined by funding status of an institution.

The group contented that the Court of Appeal judgment is diametrically in conflict with the Supreme Court’s earlier decision in the case involving the Lagos State Government and Ors v Asiyat Abdulkareem and Ors which explicitly affirmed the right of Muslim students to wear hijab as an aspect of their constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom.

The MPAC further described the Court of Appeal ruling as an assault on the fundamental right of Muslim citizens to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.