Court grants UI International School Muslim students right to wear hijab

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A High Court in Oyo State, sitting in Ibadan, has ruled in favor of female Muslim students at the University of Ibadan International School (ISI), granting them the right to wear hijabs with their school uniforms.

The ruling was delivered on Wednesday afternoon by Justice Moshood Ishola.

The University of Ibadan, which owns and manages the secondary school, had been at the center of a dispute since November 2018, when the school prohibited some female Muslim students from wearing hijabs over their uniforms.

In response, the affected students and their parents filed a lawsuit against the school, the University of Ibadan, and several of its principal officers.

The students involved in the case were Faridah Akerele, Aaliyah Dopesi, Akhifah Dokpesi, Raheemah Akinlusi, Imam Akinoso, Hamdallah Olosunde, Aliyyah Adebayo, Moriddiyah Yekinni, Ikhlas Badiru, Mahmuda Babarinde, and Fareedah Moshood.

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Justice Ishola stated that his decision was guided by previous Supreme Court judgments and the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and association.

He added that as a public institution, the school must respect the students’ fundamental human rights, including the right to wear hijabs.

The Judge said, “The school, staff, or its agents have no right to punish students for using hijab on the school premises or outside the school premises.

“Fundamental human rights are inalienable rights and cannot be taken, even by the powerful government. The school is a public institution.”