Ogun Hijab crisis: Lawyers trade words as judge adjourns case till January 16
- The hijab crisis in Ogun state caused a clash between the claimant’s and defendant’s lawyers on Tuesday, January 8
- The claimant’s lawyer wanted a speedy hearing while the defendant’s lawyer sought an adjournment, leading to heated arguments
- The presiding judge, however, restored calm and adjourned the case till January 16
The hijab crisis in Ogun state led to heated arguments on Tuesday, January 8, between two lawyers at an Ogun state high court in Isabo, Abeokuta, during the hearing of the suit on the use of the Muslim headwear in public schools in the state.
Recall that a nine-year-old female pupil of Gateway Junior Secondary School, Aisha AbdulAleem, in December 2018, sued the state government for allegedly violating her fundamental human right to use hijab.
Aisha subsequently demanded N1 million as damages from the Ogun state government.
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However, during the second hearing of the case on January 8, both counsels for the defendant and the claimant, Israel Awofeso and Sulaiman Akinbami, respectively, engaged in heated arguments when the former called for the adjournment of the case, The Punch reports.
The defendant’s lawyer had claimed that he received the process filed by one of the lawyers for the claimant, Abass Nurudeen, on December 27, 2018, late on Tuesday, thereby seeking an adjournment of the case to prepare his response.
The claimant’s lawyer, Akinbami, however, opposed the adjournment, describing the defendant’s lawyer’s claim as “administrative incompetence”.
He prayed the court for an expeditious hearing of the case, saying that the pupil involved in the case, Aisha, could not return to school because she was denied her right to exercise freedom of religion.
Akinbami also stated that the hijab case was in the interest of the majority of the people in the state.
Legit.ng gathers that many Christian and Muslim faithful attended the January 8 hearing.
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However, Akinbami’s speech drew the anger of the defendant’s lawyer, saying the claimant’s lawyer’s accusation of “administrative incompetence” was “absolutely incorrect and rude”.
Justice Bamgbose Alabi, the presiding judge, however, restored calm and promised to ensure the speedy hearing of the case. He adjourned the case till January 16.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Lagos state government had given go-ahead to Muslim female pupils to use hijab in public schools, after series of protests and several legal battles between the government and numerous Muslim groups.
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Source: Legit.ng
