Violence erupted on Wednesday in Ilorin, Kwara State capital after the state government reopened 10 schools shut last month over the use of hijab by Muslim female students.
According to Channels, the violence started after Christian officials of Baptist School, Surulere disallowed the girls in Hijab from gaining access into the school.
This did not go down well with Muslim parents, leading to arguments and eventually clash.
The situation grew worse as angry Christian and Muslim faithfuls threw various objects including stones and plastic chairs at themselves.
The security operatives close to the school had to call for reinforcement to calm the situation, the operatives had to disperse them with tear gas.
How it Started
The call to allow the female students to wear Hijab in Christian mission founded schools started few years ago as Muslim stakeholders in Ilorin filed the issue in court.
The group which first filed the court case against the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state demanded that the association should compel the authorities of the schools founded by them to allow Muslim female students in the Christian schools to use Hijab.
The group argued that since the state government had taken over the schools, the former missionary owners no longer had control over the grant – aided schools in the state.
The Muslim stakeholders also said that, allowing the female Muslim students to wear Hijab will be in conformity with the judgment of the Kwara state High Court of 2016 and that of the Court of Appeal of 2019.
This however assumed a dangerous twist recently in the affected schools as Muslim female students wore hijab to school and were turned back. This prompted the Muslim community in the state to kick against the development.
The affected schools are Cherubim & Seraphim College, Sabo Oke; St. Anthony College, Offa Road; ECWA School, Oja Iya; Surulere Baptist Secondary School; and Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam.
Others include, CAC Secondary School, Asa Dam; St. Barnabas Secondary School, Sabo Oke; St. John School, Maraba; St. Williams Secondary School, Taiwo Isale, and St. James Secondary School Maraba, all in Ilorin, the state capital.
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