JAMB: Top Lawyer Speaks on Discrimination Against Hijab-Wearing UTME Candidates
- Officials at the examination centres in Nigeria often act ultra vires by asking hijab-wearing Muslim ladies to remove their head covering
- JAMB recently frowned at a reported incident where a hijab-wearing candidate was asked to remove the veil as part of the accreditation processes at Bafuto Institute in Ejigbo, Lagos state
- In an interview with Legit.ng, a top Nigerian lawyer, Yusuf Nurudeen, lamented that Muslim girls are needlessly persecuted
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering education in Nigeria and worldwide.
Ikoyi, Lagos state - A Lagos-based lawyer, Yusuf Nurudeen, has asserted that anyone who harasses hijab-wearing Muslims in Nigeria should be "criminally responsible" for their action.
Nurudeen, the founder of the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development, in an interview with Legit.ng referenced section 38 of the 1999 constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian citizen the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
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He suggested a "criminal punitive measure" as the next level of punishment for erring representatives of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), or the National Examination Council (NECO).
Nurudeen told Legit.ng:
"It is now becoming a crime. The Constitution has prohibited discrimination against religion."
He continued:
"I think our legislature should elevate it to a level that it becomes criminal to discriminate so that people would be punished.
"You cannot be forced against your own will, wish, or religious inclination to either put on or not adorn a particular mode of dressing. So, it is a fundamental right."
Furthermore, Barr. Nurudeen advised JAMB to withdraw the license of any centre found wanting of religious discrimination.
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- JAMB/UTME 2024: How to check your results in simple steps
Hijab controversy: JAMB makes clarification
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that JAMB said the harassed a hijab-wearing UTME candidate, Ms Tiamiyu Ayisat Morenikeji did not lose any minute out of her scheduled time.
JAMB quashed erroneous insinuations that Morenikeji was not allowed into the examination venue until after 30 minutes.
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Source: Legit.ng
