Supreme Court sets aside ban on female Muslim use of hijabs in Lagos schools

The Supreme Court has set aside, the prohibition by the Lagos State government against the use of hijab by female Muslim students in its public primary and secondary schools.

The apex court banned the restriction following a split decision of a seven-man panel of Justices, five for and two against.

The court affirmed an earlier decision of the Lagos Division of Court of Appeal, which nullified a High Court judgement that banned female students from wearing Hijab with their school uniforms.

The Supreme Court, in its lead majority verdict prepared by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, but read by Justice Tijani Abubakar, sacked an appeal Lagos State government lodged against the Court of Appeal decision, saying that the appeal lacked merit.

According to the apex court, there is no reason to reinstate the October 17, 2014 judgement by Justice Grace Onyeabo of the High Court of Lagos State, which upheld the ban on Hijab.