Kwara gov’t shuts down school over Hijab crisis
A disagreement over the use of hijab, a woman headcover favoured more by Muslims, degenerated into riots, leading to the shut down of Baptist High School, Oyun, Ijagbo, near Offa, Kwara State.
According to a police statement sent to the newspapers’ bureau in Ilorin, the crisis is related to the wearing of Hijab in schools, “a matter that has been in contention between the Christian and Muslim faithful in Kwara State,” the police explained.
As learnt, parents of students denied entry on account of the head covering stormed the school to protest such action only for matters to degenerate into the fracas.
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The police confirmed to the paper that there was a breakdown of law and order between the Ijagbo Community and protesting Muslim parents, where dangerous weapons were freely used.
The matter leading to the crisis began a week ago after school management of the Baptist High School, Oyun, refused students wearing hijab access into the school, explaining that veil wasn’t a part of the school uniform.
The matter had brought the state government attention to the crisis which it thought it had resolved last year.
Police however assured that the matter has been brought under control as the evenings of Thursday.
“The Kwara State Police Command wishes to inform the general public, especially, citizens and residents of Ijagbo community and its environs, that, the Command’s Tactical units and conventional policemen deployed to Ijagbo have successfully restored peace and are also on ground to ensure that no further break down of law and order is allowed,” said SP Ajayi Okasanmi, spokesman for the state police command
