Lagos state applies to Supreme Court to overrule reinstatement of Hijab in schools

::Lagos state announced its intention to challenge the Appeal Court ruling over Hijab banning in Lagos

::The Appeal Court had earlier overruled the high court ruling that banned the use of Hijab among pupils of Primary and Secondary School in lagos

::An application has been entered by Lagos state at the Supreme Court and all parties now await the Supreme Court step on the case

Lagos state on Tuesday, February 7, proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling of the court of appeal that reinstated the use of Hijab for Muslim pupils in primary and secondary school in the state.

Punch reports that Mr Hameed Oyenuga, the Lagos state counsel urged the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal to transmit to the Supreme Court an application seeking to stay the execution of the judgment pending the apex court’s decision.

Oyenuga said at the Appeal Court: “We are asking that the application be forwarded or transmitted to the Supreme Court. We have forwarded our return argument to the Supreme Court, but we have yet to ascertain whether it has been entered.”

The Appeal Court Justices agreed that since the case had been taken to the Supreme Court, the only option left for the state was to withdraw the application.

Justice Garuba, who presided over the panel, said the Supreme Court was now the proper court to hear the application seeking to stay the execution of the July 21, 2016 judgment.

Garuba said: “An appeal has been entered at the Supreme Court; you can’t expect us to transmit it to the Supreme Court. You have to withdraw the application. The application before us has to go. The application is hereby struck out.”

Recall that the court of appeal in Lagos state set aside the judgment of a Lagos state high court which had banned the use of hijab in the state's public primary and secondary schools.

The judgment stated that the ban on the hijab is a violation of the fundamental rights of the Muslim students.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday, February 6, insisted plans are afoot to remove yellow buses popularly known as Danfo from Lagos roads for a more efficient, well-structured and world class mass transportation system that would facilitate ease of movement within the city.

Ambode said Lagos cannot be truly referred to as a mega city if there are yellow buses and commercial motorcycles plying the major street and causing traffic.