By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Violence erupted in Ilorin on Wednesday over disagreement on the wearing of hijab by female Muslim pupils and students in Christian mission schools granted aid by the Kwara State government.
The disagreement had arisen about three weeks ago when some pupils of the Baptist LGEA school in Surulere area of Ilorin who wore the hijab were turned away from the school by the authorities.
The government, in order to prevent this from degenerating into a major crisis, immediately announced closure of 10 Christian mission schools it grant aids in the town.
However, the government, after about two weeks decided to reopen the schools but their Christian owners insisted that hijab wearing would not be allowed thereby forcing the government to suspend its decision to reopen the schools.
The Christian owners noted that they have an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging decisions of the High Court and Court of Appeal on their case that the government should fully hand over their schools back to them.
They clarified that there was no issue of hijab wearing in the case they took to court and that what was being brandished by some people as the pronouncement of the lower courts on the issue of hijab was strange because the issue was neither raised by them as complainants nor by the state government and the governor who were the defendants.
They argued that since they had appealled the decisions of the Appeal Court and put the defendants on notice, there ought to be automatically a stay of execution of the judgement of the lower court because the judgment was declarative.
The government on Tuesday night announced that the schools would be re-opened on Wednesday and that the female Muslim pupils willing to wear hijab should do so but in some of the affected schools including the Cherubim and Seraphim College in Sabo-Oke area of Ilorin and the Baptist LGEA, the Christian owners of the schools closed the gates very early in the morning insisting that there would be no hijab wearing in the schools.
Some members of the Cherubim and Seraphim church, owners of the college, who closed the gate of the college wore their white garments and stood before the gates to protest the government’s decision.
At the Batptist LGEA, which was in the premises of the First Baptist Church, Surulere, members of the church, owners of the school, locked the gate of the school to prevent its opening as the government had directed.
Violence however broke out when church members and some Muslim youths clashed. The Muslim youths were said to have come to the school allegedly to ensure that the school was opened to its female Muslim pupils who wearing hijab.
The Christian owners carried placard with inscription ‘No to hijab’ while the Muslim youths were chanting “Lahila ilalahu.” They were said to have later engaged in throwing of stones and pebbles at each other. The gate of the school was pulled down while the sign post was damaged.
Some people were said to have been injured in the clash but the number of the injured could not yet be ascertained.
The situation was said to have been brought under control by men of the Nigeria Police and National Security and Civil Defence Corps who were later sent to the scene.
Meanwhile the state government in a statement signed by Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor said some other affected schools had welcome wearing of the hijab and assured that the government would continue to engage all stakeholders on the need to tolerate one another.
“Kwara has once again proven to be the state of harmony as authorities in many of the affected schools welcome Muslim students that have chosen to wear Hijab and others who wear berets.
“Government is handling the situation in a few others where there were challenges in the morning. Calm has returned, and the government continues to engage all stakeholders on the need to tolerate one another,” the statement reads.