The International School Ibadan (ISI) of the University of Ibadan has, for the second time in six months, lost its bid to halt a court ruling that permits female Muslim students to wear the hijab with their school uniforms. On Tuesday, the Oyo State High Court dismissed ISI’s application for a stay of execution on the original judgment, which granted the students this right in a decision made on May 22, 2024.
Presiding over the case, Justice Moshood Isola ruled that the High Court lacked jurisdiction to review the stay application while it is pending in the Appeal Court. Justice Isola emphasized that the court could only entertain matters that are in limbo without an assigned case number in the appellate system.
Counsel for ISI, Mr. Magnus Ejelonu, had argued that his application was valid under order 4, rule 10 of the Appeal Court, asserting that the case is admissible upon record submission to the registry. However, Mr. Hassan Fajimite, representing the 11 female Muslim students, expressed disappointment in ISI’s attempts to delay the High Court’s ruling on fundamental rights. Supporting this view, Mr. Yusuf Anikulapo, counsel for the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), confirmed the appeal has been assigned Case No. CA/IB/345/2024.
Chairman of the ISI Muslim Parents Forum, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, welcomed the court’s decision, noting the harmonious relationships among students of diverse backgrounds, as reflected in the school’s 2024 Yearbook. He highlighted the ruling as a reaffirmation of the school’s inclusive international status.
