…Says moves to restrict hijab design or badge placement violate Supreme Court ruling
The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit, has expressed concern over recent attempts by officials of the Lagos State Government to reignite the harassment, molestation, and illegal punishment of hijab-wearing students in secondary schools across the state.
In a statement released on Monday, the Amir (President) of MSSN Lagos, Kamoldeen Abiona, urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to call officials of the Ministry of Education, including tutors-general and principals, to ensure orderliness within the state’s school system.
The Amir’s reaction followed reports of a meeting held on January 15, 2026 at Adeyemo Bero Auditorium, Ikeja, involving school principals, education ministry officials, and the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, during which the Commissioner purportedly said that the hijab must not cover school badges.
“We find this statement not only provocative but a blatant attempt to redefine a settled matter of law through the back door,” Abiona stated.
He reminded the state government that the issue reached its logical and final legal conclusion on June 17, 2022, when the Supreme Court of Nigeria affirmed the right of Muslim female students to wear the hijab.
Abiona noted that the apex court did not grant the State Government or any individual official the power to dictate a design that diminishes the hijab’s essence as an act of worship.
“To say that the hijab must not cover school badges is an indirect way of forcing students to wear mini-hijabs or neck-scarves which do not fulfill the requirements of the faith,” he said, adding that “the badge can be pinned onto the hijab if visibility is the concern, and to do otherwise is to prioritise a piece of cloth over the constitutional and religious rights of the students.”
The MSSNLagos leader also faulted the formation of a committee to examine the length of the hijab, describing it as a dangerous and clandestine attempt to undermine the judicial authority of the Supreme Court.
Abiona warned that “this committee is a redundancy, a waste of taxpayers’ resources, and a direct insult to the Nigerian judiciary because there is nothing left to examine after the highest court in the land has delivered a final verdict.”
He further asserted that setting up such a body “rubbishes our judicial system and is a transparent attempt to create a government-approved version of Islam which members of MSSN in Lagos State will never accept”
Expressing disappointment in the current administration, Abiona remarked that it is disheartening to see the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, as it nears the end of its tenure, “intent on disrupting the peace and orderliness currently enjoyed in our schools.”
He advised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to focus on leaving a legacy of harmony rather than reigniting a crisis that previously cost the state years of legal battles and social tension.
The MSSNLagos Amir demanded the immediate withdrawal of any statement regarding the exposure of badges and the disbanding of any committee reviewing the Supreme Court judgment.
He also urged school principals and teachers to ignore directives that violate the subsisting court judgment to avoid being held in contempt of court.
“The MSSN Lagos remains committed to peace, but we shall not hesitate to employ every legal and constitutional means to protect the rights of the Muslim girl-child, as any attempt to harass our students based on illegal guidelines will be met with stiff, lawful resistance,” Abiona warned.
Nigerian Muslim Personalities of the Year 2024/2025
Global Muslim Personalities of the Year 2024/2025
Sponsored
