Alhaji Aliyu Otta Uthman, national president, Ilorin Emirate Descendant Progressive Union, IEDPU, has, on Saturday, given thumbs down to human right bodies in the country over what his organisation perceives as “conspicuous silence” in the violence attending the hijab crisis in Ilorin.
The state capital has been enmeshed in the controversy after stakeholders of 10 mission schools continued to resist use of hijab in their schools.
Some of them are still being shut for fear of riot breaking out.
Uthman observed that the situation merits a call out on human right infringement on the Muslim girl right to wear hijab if she chooses.
“Our people have noted the conspicuous silence of members of the human rights community and the defenders of constitutionalism on the the issue,” the IEDPU president said at the national headquarters of the union in Ilorin during a press conference.
“To us we do not any reason why Muslim pupils who are willing to put on the hijab along with uniforms should be denied such fundamental right to manifest their religious leaning.
The president also observed that the timing of the conflict is suspicious given, as he observed, there is no big deal in wearing the hijab.
He also tasked authority to look into alleged demolition of mosques in two mission owned schools in Ilorin in the aftermath of the violence on some schools and churches over resistance of stakeholders in the mission schools to allow use of hijab.
“The union will like to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail in the Christian Association of Nigeria to allow the unique coexistence and peace in Ilorin to subsist,” Alhaji Uthman said.
