The Court of Appeal, Ibadan, on Thursday, allowed the appeal of the International School Ibadan (ISI) which seeks to overturn the use of hijab by female Muslim students in the school.
It will be recalled that ISI had refused to allow female Muslim students to wear hijab on their school uniforms prompting 11 aggrieved students of the school to approach the Oyo State High Court, to exercise their rights
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Oyo State High Court had on May 22, 2024, held that the wearing of hijab by female students of the University of Ibadan managed school did not constitute an infraction.
However, the management of ISI subsequently approached the Court of Appeal in Ibadan to overturn the May 22, 2024 judgment.
NAN reports that the Appellants in the matter are University of Ibadan, International School Ibadan (ISI), Yinka Akintunde, Prof. Abideen Aderinto
Respondents in the appeal are Aaliyah Adebayo, Aliyah Dokpesi, Hamdallah Olusunde and nine others.
At Thursday’s proceeding at the Court of Appeal, lead Counsel to the Appellants, Mr B. Ajibade informed the court of his application to transmit and regularise the appellants record of appeal dated Nov. 11, 2024.
Ajibade, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) urged the court to grant his application and deem it as properly filed before the court.
The Respondents’ Counsel, Mr Hassan Fajimite, who had earlier filed an application to strike out the appeal on grounds that the appellant were late in transmitting their records, later withdrew his application.
The three-member Court of Appeal Justices, led by Justice Biobele Georgewill, subsequently granted the appellants’ applications to regularise and transmit records of appeal and deem it as properly before the court.
Georgewill ordered parties to file their respective brief of arguments and adjourned the matter till April 29 for hearing of the appeal.
In an earlier statement, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Chairman, ISI MUSLIM PARENTS FORUM (ISIMPF) had said that dissatisfied with the Oyo State High Court judgment in Ibadan on May 22, 2024 granting female Muslim students at the University of Ibadan International School, Ibadan the freedom to wear hijab over their school uniforms, the authorities of the institution filed an appeal against the judgment and the Court of Appeal has slated Thursday March 5, to hear the motion.
Balogun said the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan will hear the motion on the appeal filed by the ISI-UI authorities since 2024 on Thursday March 5.
The Muslim Parents Forum through its counsel, Barr. Hassan Fajimite has filed a counter motion asking the appellate court to strike out the motion.
He recalled that the aggrieved Muslim Parents after all attempts to resolve the issue amicably failed took the matter to court in December 2018 to seek for justice for the willing Muslim female students of the institution to wear hijab over their school uniform as guaranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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