The lawyer who fought and won the right to wear hijab at her 2018 Call to Bar ceremony says two female candidates were seen crying after being compelled to rewrap their hijabs like turbans at the Bwari Campus.
Firdausa Amasa Esq. has reported an incident in which Muslim female candidates were compelled to remove and improperly rewrap their hijabs before being allowed into an examination hall at the Nigerian Law School, Bwari Campus, Abuja.
In an incident report dated Saturday, October 31, 2026, Amasa said she visited the campus to observe compliance with a circular permitting candidates to write their Bar Part II examinations wearing hijab in line with constitutional provisions.
She said she visited five examination halls and found that female candidates in four of them were allowed to enter and write their examinations with their hijabs without hindrance.
However, she reported a different situation at the Main Hall, also known as the Multipurpose Hall, where female candidates wearing hijab were stopped at the entrance and compelled to remove their head coverings and rewrap them like turbans before being allowed entry.
“I personally witnessed two female candidates crying at the entrance as a result of this harassment,” Amasa stated.
She added that the incident caused visible distress and destabilisation among the candidates shortly before a major examination.
Amasa’s history in the hijab rights struggle
Amasa’s latest intervention recalls her own experience at the Nigerian Law School in 2017, when she was initially denied participation in the Call to Bar ceremony because she insisted on wearing her hijab.
The incident generated national controversy, with Muslim organisations, lawyers and other stakeholders challenging her exclusion on the grounds of religious freedom and the constitutional rights of Muslim women.
Following the controversy, the Body of Benchers approved her participation in June 2018, and she was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar in July 2018 while wearing her hijab.
Her successful struggle became a significant reference point in the campaign for Muslim women’s right to wear hijab in educational and professional institutions.
The latest incident comes amid renewed concerns over the treatment of Muslim female candidates during the 2026 Bar examinations, with the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) Nigeria and the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), B-Zone, also raising concerns over reported restrictions.
Cites constitutional provisions, Supreme Court judgment
In her report, Amasa described the action of the supervisors in the Multipurpose Hall as unconstitutional and unlawful, arguing that it contradicted both the Nigerian Law School’s circular and the provisions of the Constitution.
She cited Sections 38(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantee freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to manifest and propagate one’s religion.
She also referenced the Supreme Court judgment in Lagos State Government & Ors v. Asiyat Abdulkareem (SC/910/2016), delivered in 2022, which affirmed the right of Muslim female students to wear hijab in public schools.
According to Amasa, the reported action also amounted to discrimination and harassment contrary to Section 42 of the Constitution, which provides protection against discrimination.
She further cited Section 34, which guarantees the dignity of the human person, while warning that the psychological impact of public harassment and forced removal of religious attire could affect candidates’ concentration and examination performance.
Calls for urgent intervention
Amasa urged the management of the Nigerian Law School to call the supervisors of the Multipurpose Hall to order and ensure compliance with the hijab directive across all examination halls for the remaining papers.
She also requested that a clear and unconditional instruction be reissued to all invigilators, stating that candidates wearing hijab must be allowed to enter and write their examinations as permitted by law.
She further called for assurances that no candidate would be victimised or disadvantaged for exercising her constitutional right.
While commending the Nigerian Law School for issuing the initial circular permitting hijab, Amasa said its inconsistent implementation, particularly in the Multipurpose Hall, undermined the effort.
“This must be stopped immediately,” she stated.
The Nigerian Law School had yet to issue an official response to the incident report at the time of publication.
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