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The hijab controversy started over three weeks ago when officials of Saint Anthony Secondary School prevented Muslim female students from gaining entrance to the school claiming that it is a missionary school.
Several meetings were held between Muslim and Christian leaders to resolve the issue with the government temporarily closing down the ten schools until the reopening on Wednesday morning.
The ownership of the ten schools is still pending in the Supreme Court as both the High Court and Appeal Court affirmed the state government as the owner.
The security operatives close to the school had to call for reinforcement and disperse them with teargas.
It was further learnt that there was chaos at Baptist School, Surulere over the issue before the police intervened.
The Kwara State government had not reacted to the development as at the time of filling this report.
The government late last night issued a statement through the Ministry of Education ordering the reopening of the affected schools.
“The closure of the schools became necessary to forestall security breaches which may affect lives and properties. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs Kemi Adeosun said in a statement.
“The government is convinced that its policy to allow willing Muslim schoolgirls to wear their hijab in public schools will lead to sustainable peace and communal harmony anchored on mutual respect and understanding.”
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The decision to bar the Muslim students from entering the school on Wednesday despite government decision did not go down well with some parents, leading to violent face-off.
The state government announced the reopening of 10 schools on Wednesday morning after they were first shut down in February.
The schools were closed on Feb. 19 over a dispute about the wearing of hijab by Muslim female students in some of the schools. x
The government set up a committee to find a solution to the dispute and it was later announced that the schools will resume on March 8 with willing female students allowed to use hijab.
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Published 17 March 2021
There was a clash between Muslim and Christian faithful on Wednesday in Ilorin after the Kwara State Government reopened 10 schools shut over hijab (Islamic headscarf) controversy.
It was learnt that students wearing hijab were disallowed from entering Baptist School, Surulere by some protesting Christians.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that this led to an altercation between the Muslims and Christians.
The altercation, the eyewitness said, eventually led to a clash that saw the Muslims and Christians throwing objects at themselves.
It was learnt that it took the intervention of security operatives to restore peace.
During their protest, the Christians displayed placards with various inscriptions such as ‘No Hijab in Baptist Schools and all mission/grant-aided schools’, ‘Otoge, give us back our schools, among others.