For Mubarakah Abiodun and her coursemate, Adedolapo Adedamola, both 400L students from Chemistry Department, in the College of Physical Sciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, using the niqab (veil) has been challenging for them and other female students since the authorities issued a circular on Thursday, December 16, 2021, insisting that veiling is prohibited within the school premises.
The duo told Muslim Newsin separate interviews how it has been difficult for them to walk freely within the 10,000 hectare campus without being subjected to harassments from lecturers, security personnel and pathetically, the campus MANCOT bus drivers, officially known as FUNAABOT.
Narrating their ordeals to Muslim News Team who were on a fact-finding mission in the school located at the North Eastern end of Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Monday, January 17, the niqabis revealed how on several occasions, they have thought of giving up due to the incessant embarrassments.
“It hasn’t been a pleasant experience because sometimes I just feel like giving up, when I think about the persecution and harassments. The pain and the harrowing experience are just too much. Whenever I am trying to study hard and concentrate and I remember this assault, the morale just dies”, Mubarakah said in a pensive mood.
She said, “We have only two niqabis in my Department. Sister Adedolapo Adedamola and myself. Before now, no one harassed us. We had been going to classes in our niqab. Although, they never used to allow us into the school before. We had to use facemasks before we could enter. It was the case of one ex-student niqabi who came to school and was forced to remove her niqab that escalated everything”.
How ex-student was forced to remove niqab
On Tuesday, November 25, 2021, social media was agog with the news of Ms. Maryam Abioye Afeez, who was forced to remove her niqab by the security personnel at the school gate before she was allowed entrance into the campus.
The victim, an alumnus and a member of MSSN, FUNAAB branch related what she termed as ugly experience on her Facebook page on November 26, 2021.
She wrote; “…Around 11:30 am, I was kept standing on my feet for over an hour at the school gate (on Thursday, November 25) , facing a stark reality of being denied entrance into the University. What was my offense? I was putting on a niqab! Simple.

“The fact that I am an ex-student; who only came for some official engagements is an indication that, the students who is putting on the niqab is not the problem, their problem is the Niqab itself and the hatred they harbour for it. They detest it passionately on anyone around the university, be it a member of staff, student or a visitor.
“The Ameer of the MSSN FUNAAB was contacted and he tried his best to mediate with the security officers, but it was obvious they were all acting on an order and all they were saying was ‘it is a directive from above that we shouldn’t allow any niqabi (veiled sister) in’”, she noted.
Ms. Afeez said she had to remove her veil “to prevent putting up a scene at the school gate and for the sake of peace”, after the intervention from the Amir, AbdulMalik Olaiya, (a final year student of Civil Engineering) failed. It’s indeed a very ugly, embarrassing and disheartening situation”, she said in a post that has now gone viral on Facebook and WhatsApp in particular.
The development saw the Nigerian Muslim community condemning the move by FUNAAB, a Federal Government-owned institution that runs with taxpayers’ money, for banning the niqab.
Ms. Afeez’s decision to remove her niqab divided the Ummah. While some criticised her for removing it, others exonerated her of any wrong for unveiling under what they called “daruur” (a doctrine of necessity).
Effect of the incident on Niqabis on campus
Muslim News findings revealed that the wave of reactions in the media, especially from different Islamic organisations seems to have forced the authorities of the University to relax the dress code which didn’t only ban the niqab but also categorised it as an ‘immoral, lousy’ and a ‘security threat’ on campus.
According to Ms. Adedamola, “After that incident, the authorities started allowing us into the school in our niqab. We have been going for lectures peacefully until the management made a u-turn at the end of their Senate meeting.
“They released another circular stating that the status quo on niqab ban remains. Nothing has changed about the dressing of the students. The circular also stated that every student must be identifiable within the school premises”.
In a copy of the circular signed by the Registrar, Dr. Bola Adekola, which was received by Muslim News, the Senate at its statutory meeting held on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 affirmed its earlier decision on Students’ Dress Code as enshrined in the University’s Students Regulation with great emphasis on facial identification of all students at all times within the University.
The Senate reiterated the fact that its decision on Dress Code was taken without prejudice to any religion, race or creed, but for the peace and security of every member of the University Community and to promote teaching and learning in a conducive atmosphere.
Dr. Adekola reminded all members of the University Community, particularly students, that no change has been approved to the Dress Code put in place since 2017 by the Senate and should be strictly adhered to at all times.

But the Amir, Mr. Olaiya argued that the Muslim student body has no issue with facial identification, however, he insisted that the institution should recruit female personnel to identify the students under niqab.
“When it comes to facial identification, all we are requesting for is female personnel, who are always on ground. They can’t tell us that during examinations, female students will be searched by male staff, just as male personnel do search male students always. Why can’t they do that for our sisters? Why embarrassing them?
We wrote a letter replying the circular, telling them that our sisters are ready to be facially identified by female personnel. It was acknowledged at the VC’s office and since then, we didn’t get any feedback to that letter. We also had series of meetings with the CSO, including the Deputy Dean of students’ affairs, Prof. Fafiolu on campus to address the issue.
“We told them there is no need harassing the niqabis on the road before they can be identified. I believe the issue of identification has been resolved, but I don’t know why the school management is still seeing it as something difficult. That is why we frown at the recent occurrence where our sisters were denied access to write tests, after facial identification was conducted on them. We call the school management to stop this barbaric and wicked act and resolve this matter once and for all”, he said.
Illegal ban explained!
FUNAAB war on Niqab started in 2017 when a big billboard, which had an image of a veiled Muslim lady alongside some girls in crazy Jeans, mini skirt and semi nude wear was erected at the school main entrance, tagging it “immoral and lousy.”
According to the Amir, “I was still in 200L then. The MSSN reacted to it and the school management later removed the billboard. However, the billboard was re-erected in November 2021 at a time an ex-student, a niqabi came to school for some official assignments. She was confronted by the security personnel who insisted that the niqab isn’t allowed in the institution again.

“I was invited to the gate to mediate with the security. I told them she is not no longer a student and that she only came to do something, but they turned my explanation down. They said anyone that wants to enter any institution in Nigeria cannot go in their niqab. I was even trying to tell the officials that no University except FUNAAB banned the niqab. They turned deaf ears and the sister eventually had to remove her niqab.”
Ugly experience from the duo
Relating her experience, Mubarakah said, “We had a test last week and on our way to the lecture room, a car suddenly packed beside us. It was Prof. Fafiolu telling us to get out of the school immediately. I was like,” for what, again?”. This isn’t the first time he will be harassing us. He did it before, late December 2021 and I was trying to engage him that we were going for a test, but he insisted, saying my dressing contradicts the dress code. He ordered me out of the school.
“He was shouting at us that every student passing by could hear. I had to beg him to allow me inform the lecturer, at least for her to know why we were about to miss her test, because I would be late if I had to go home to change my cloth and come back for the test. Prof. Fafiolu insisted that I would not write the test, he drove away and got to the venue of my test before me. When I got there, he was also engaging the lecturer and the second niqabi in my Department, Adedamola, who was already asked to come out. He told the lecturer not to allow allow us in.
“While trying to tell him that if it’s for identification, we can unveil for the female lecturer, and she can easily identify us since we have our ID cards with us, but he said no! He insisted that we have to remove our niqab before we could be allowed into the laboratory. Funnily, that is how we used to be identified when we used facemasks. We will remove it for a female lecturer for identification, why can’t we use the same approach for niqab?
“We made some calls at that moment because we had exhausted all our chances to convince him. We called the Amir, but no solution. The lecturer called to inform our HOD. He called him and they were discussing, but we didn’t hear clearly what they were discussing. At the end of the calls, he came to tell us that he isn’t against niqab personally, but he is just ensuring compliance to the school rules on dress code.
He even suggested that we can use facemask with glasses, nobody will identify us. He even gave us money to buy facemasks. From that moment, it became clear to us that the problem actually isn’t about identification, but the niqab. I told him, it means that the school hates niqab. Eventually we missed the test,” she stated.
Ms. Mubarakah also mentioned that she and her course mate missed another test held the next day. According to her, “The next day, we had another test. The lecturer is a male lecturer and sincerely speaking, it didn’t occur to me that there would be issues on that day because this lecturer had no issue with the niqab. We have been attending his lectures with niqab until that morning, when he declined to allow us into the hall.

“He insisted that we must dress like other students and follow the school regulations. I was trying to tell him that we would replace our veil with facemask for identification, but he declined. He then called the CSO who sent some people. They took us to the Senate building and we spent the time we were supposed to use for test with them. Everybody was just castigating us, yelling at us, saying we make Islam hard, because we have been brainwashed. ‘You’re already in 400L, what is the big deal if you remove your niqab, so that you can graduate peacefully’, one of them asked us. The CSO said if we were not ready to remove our niqab, we shouldn’t go back to the hall again. That’s how that one ended too. We missed it.”
Mubarakah called on the school management to respect students’ fundamental rights.
She said, “we understand when they say for identification and we all know that security is essential, but they should try not to infringe on our rights too. They can provide female security officers at the school gate and every point within the campus, who will check us.
“Those ones should be allowed to identify those people behind the niqab. They should allow us enjoy the same rights every other student enjoys. We aren’t different from other students. This is our religious right. The fact that other female students aren’t using the niqab doesn’t mean they should deprive the few ones using it that right,” she added..
…Even bus drivers harass us because of our Niqab – Niqabi Adedamola
Adedamola recalled how she was publicly embarrassed by a school shuttle driver. He told me bluntly as I was about to board the bus, “Alhaja, I will not allow you to enter the bus next time if you dress like this because we are not too sure if you’re a male or female. I didn’t say anything, I went inside and took my seat. But deep in my mind, I felt terrible about what he said.

Speaking further, the niqabi said there was another time that the same Prof. Fafiolu publicly harassed her and another niqabi on their way to the school Masjid (Mosque) to read. He said, “get out from this school. If you’re a student, you’re not allowed to dress like this, lecture or no lecture. Remove or you go out”. So, the VC met us there and he was also very angry, lamenting. He told us that as the VC, it’s ridiculous for him not to be able to see our faces. He didn’t allow us speak at all. Our attempts to speak were interrupted, as he went back to his vehicle and left the spot,” she recalled.
Adedamola of Chemistry Department expressed sadness about the development, saying it’s distracting her from her studies.
According to her, “Ever since the harassment started, I haven’t been happy because of the fear that after spending days and nights to read for tests or exams, I might still be denied to write the test with no offense. The question that keeps agitating the mind is: what if they don’t allow us into the halls for examinations? I feel disturbed. We can no longer walk freely in our school as bonafide students. We can no longer enjoy our fundamental, God-given rights as Nigerians in Nigeria, even when that is guaranteed by the constitution.”
Adedamola wants the school to lift the ban and provide female security officers for self identification of Niqabis. “Generally, the school isn’t after facial identification because they allow us use sunglasses and facemasks, so why denying the niqab. What is the difference between the two? There is the likelihood that the person using sunglasses and facemask might not be easily identifiable, yet that is allowed. What is wrong with the niqab even as we have agreed to lift our niqab for a female personnel for self identification? This is nothing but hatred against the niqab.
“I understand that people use different means to carry out evil acts, which the school management thinks the niqab can be used for, but they shouldn’t because of that deny us to carry out Allah’s divine order. Using the niqab is purely an injunction of Allah. They shouldn’t deny us. However, they should provide us female security personnel and we’ll always lift our niqab to them anytime the need arises.”
“He told me, ‘you either unveil or leave the classroom’, and I left” – Niqabi Hafsah
Narrating her ordeal, Niqabi Hafsah disclosed how she has been refused entry into a class as a result of her usage of the niqab, on condition of either removing it or leave the class.
While speaking to Muslim News, Hafsah said the lecturer claimed he was acting based on the school rules and regulations.
According to her, “My encounter was with a lecturer who claimed he was acting in accordance with the school rules and regulations. I came into the class with my niqab. He’s not the first lecturer taking the course. That was at the beginning of the session. He called me to the front and said ‘according to the school rules and regulations, you cannot stay in this gathering like this, so you have two options: either to unveil or leave the class’, and I left the class since I couldn’t open my face for him.
FUNAAB Illegal #Niqab ban explained!#FUNAAB war on #Niqab started in 2017 when a big billboard, which had an image of a veiled #Muslim lady alongside some girls in crazy Jeans, mini skirt and semi nude wear was erected at the school main entrance, tagging it "immoral and lousy. pic.twitter.com/MFAOuuleka
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) January 23, 2022
“I actually felt sad being called out among my colleagues and sent out of the class. I paid school fees like everyone. It actually led to a form of depression, but with Allah, I was able to overcome it. I felt bad. Why should I be sent out of the class because of my modesty, way of dressing, because I’m practising my religion? Why should I be sent out because I’ve decided to follow the rules of Allah. Meanwhile, there are some people wearing indecent clothes to class and they are not chased out, but because I’ve decided to be modest and follow the rules of the Creator, I am being deprived of my right.
She pleaded with the university authority to look into the matter, saying it is a case of religious bigotry and not facial identification.
“It is obvious this is religious bigotry and not an issue of facial identification. My appeal to the university is to look into this matter and give us our rights of practising our religion without fear. If it’s truly about the facial identification, then we are ready to identify ourselves for any female personnel because it is not possible not to have female personnel or security officers that can identify us. I’m also appealing to the government to come to our aid. This is a university built with the taxes of our parents. We should be able to practise our religion. Our dressing should not be a barrier to our education and career.”
We pose no security threat – Niqabi Mahrufa
Clarifying the negative notion held against them, Niqabi Mahrufa, who could not hide her disappointment debunked the narration that they pose security threat to the university community.

According to her, “We comply with the facial identification policy when requested for, on the condition it would be done before a female official of the school.
“Right from the time I’ve made up my mind to start using the niqab, I’ve been facing series of questioning and embarrassment due to the use of Niqab. In previous semesters, I had used facemasks around the school, there was no disturbance with this but now that I have decided to use the Niqab, they are harassing me and other Niqabis.
“Like I mentioned, I’ve been using facemasks for at least, a year in this university and no one questioned me, until we started using the niqab. Along the line, the CSO collected my ID card and some sort of verification was done and I was sent home that day, saying the school had not lifted its ban on the niqab.
“With what happened that day, I felt they are toying with our common sense and using unreasonable reasoning. If it’s for security purpose, we pose no threat to anybody. We identify ourselves at any point and there’s not been any case of security breach anywhere, connected to the females using niqab in the university, yet they still attach it to it. It’s just unrelatable”, she emphasised.
This embarrassment needs to stop! – Niqabi Fatimah
Speaking with another niqabi, Fatimah, she said there is the need for the embarrassment and discrimination to stop.
Niqabi Fatimah, who has had series of encounter with the Chief Security Officer (CSO) and security personnel, revealed they were being treated as non-humans.
Speaking to Muslim News, she said “an encounter with him was when I was coming to water my plant, he said I should leave the school campus. I initially thought I was not the one he was talking to until he shouted repeatedly and it was a Saturday, so I just left since there was no one I could call for help.
“There’s nothing bad in asking us to identify ourselves, provided there’s a female to check us. They need to stop the embarrassment and issue another circular on the permissibility of the niqab. Doing that will end the discrimination and embarrassment. Though in my Department, you hardly see any lecturer that would disturb us for using the niqab. There is even one, Dr. Olosunde, he would inquire about your wellbeing like a father.”
Reactions from the University
All efforts to speak with the members of the Senate proved abortive. The Deputy Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Adeboye Fafiolu, who the female students accused of leading the harassment, declined our several calls. He only replied to our SMS inquiries:
————-
MN: Good morning Sir. I’m calling from
Muslim News. I quickly want you to react to the report of the Niqab ban in FUNAAB and the allegation of harassment of Niqobis. Thanks
Prof. Fafiolu: Please kindly contact the VC or DSA on the matter
———–
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako also, did not respond to his calls at the time of filing this report on Saturday, January 22, 2022.

The government should come to our aid
The niqabis in the institution are calling on the government, particularly the Ministry of Education to come to their aid and put an end to the molestation and harassment over the use of the niqab.
They also appreciate some Muslim organisations that are supporting their struggle, calling on others to join and speak up to defend the right of Muslim women.
This call was made by Niqabi Maryam noting the use of the niqab is a fundamental right as a citizen of the country.
In her words, “I want the school authority to address the issue. They have kept mute like nothing happened. The government should come to our aid, especially the ministry of education.
“It’s just embarrassing. They need to know that using the niqab is a chosen way of dressing in submission to Allah. I don’t think anyone has the right to embarrass us for using it.
Another niqabi, Rahmat, thanked MURIC, MSSN and other Muslim organisations saying, “We want other organisations to join and speak up to defend the commandment of Allah on Muslim women. Don’t let us fold our arms thinking it doesn’t concern us. Muslims are like brothers and sisters anywhere. If one is suffering, the others should support and see how to end the suffering. We also want to thank this medium, Muslim News for their support and coverage”, she said.