Court upholds Hijab ban in Lagos schools

A Nigerian court has maintained a ban on Islamic headscarf in Lagos public primary and secondary schools.

In a Friday session at the High Court in Lagos, the judge said that the Lagos government had been correct in seeking uniformity of the students’ dress code, claiming that the non-hijab wearing students will feel inferior to those who are putting on hijab.

The general feeling of Muslims’ ire after the ruling was confirmed.

The issue of hijab has become controversial in Nigeria’s southwest region where Muslims accuse public institutions of denying Muslim women or girls the right to wear hijab, as allowed by the constitution.

Muslims in Lagos recently launched a “no hijab, no vote” campaign ahead of 2015 state elections, in which candidates’ religions often determine the outcome.