Some students of International School Ibadan (ISI) on Friday decried how UI school principal molested and humiliated for adorning hijab (Muslim headscarf).
The ISI Muslim Parents Forum, who bemoaned this act in a statement called the authorities to call the Principal of ISI, Phebean Olowe, to order, alleging that she is out to precipitate crisis in the school with her high handedness taken too far.
When Guardian Nigerian contacted, Olowe declined comment, while text messages were not replied. The statement signed by the Chairman, ISI MPF, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the Principal, through her agents embarked on harassment, intimidation and molestation of some Muslim girls who took the school to court to enforce their fundamental human rights to wear hijab in school.
A parent, Idris Badaru, narrated his experience, “I took my children to school and parked under the shade beside Idia Hall at about 8.00 am and noticed a small crowd of students gathered about 80 metres or thereabout away from the school gate. My children promptly informed me that accounts was checking payment clearance before allowing them in.
“After checking my daughter’s clearance, the security man and Mr. Odewale of the Accounts section were issuing some instructions, which my daughter was not happy with. I moved closer and learnt that they wanted my daughter to remove her hijab before walking into the gate and she refused. I felt enraged as any reasonable man would when his daughter’s honour is violated. Moreover, that space belongs to the University of Ibadan, a Federal institution”.
This was corroborated by two other parents who said that the security personnel of UI under the leadership of the Chief Security officer, carried out the directives of the Principal and were physically assaulting Muslim girls adorning hijabs.
“All efforts by the Muslim Parents Forum representatives to see the Principal or Vice Principal proved abortive as gun-wielding security operatives said they were under instructions not to allow any parent in.
“We are therefore putting the principal on notice that should anything untoward happen to any of our girls due to the psychological and emotional harassment, intimidation or any act of terror on them for wearing hijab, we shall use all available legal and legitimate means to protect our children.”
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