The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has strongly criticised a statement allegedly made by Bishop David Oyedepo regarding the use of hijab by Muslim students at Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State.
In a statement signed by its National Missioner, Sheikh Abu Sheriff, the group accused Bishop Oyedepo of “flagrantly violating” the fundamental human rights of Muslim students and staff, as guaranteed under Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution.
According to MMWG, a viral video purportedly shows Oyedepo urging Muslim parents and guardians to withdraw their female children from the institution if they insist on wearing the hijab.
The group described Landmark University’s hijab ban as “a tip of an iceberg” in what it claims is a wider “denial of religious freedom” at the institution.
The statement further alleged that Muslims are generally not employed at the university, and when mistakenly recruited, they are barred from observing the five daily prayers or fasting during Ramadan.
The group insisted that prohibiting Muslim students from wearing the hijab amounts to a violation of their right to religious belief and worship.
It also argued that urging parents to withdraw their children is effectively a denial of their fundamental rights to education and religious expression.
MMWG called on the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and other relevant agencies to curb what it described as human rights violations in educational institutions across Nigeria.
Writing by Ali Rabiu