The Supreme Court of Nigeria has approve the use of hijab by female Muslim students in Lagos State Government-owned schools.
The court gave the judgment in an appeal filed by the Lagos State Government and upheld the earlier judgement of the Court of Appeal which held that the ban on hijab was discriminatory against Muslim students in the state.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun held that the ban on hijab was discriminatory against Muslim students in Lagos State in the 80-page lead judgment.
The court upheld that the ban violated the Muslim students’ rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, the dignity of human persons and freedom from discrimination guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.
Other Justices on the panel were Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice Uwani Aji, Justice Mohammed Garba, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, and Justice Emmanuel Agim.
