Outrage has continued to trail the alleged
flogging of a 16-year-old pupil of Kadara
Junior Grammar School, Ebute Meta, Lagos,
by the Principal of the school, Mrs. E.C
Ukpaka, because she wore hijab, a head
scarf worn by female muslims, on the
school premises.

It was alleged that Ukpaka gave Aisha Alabi,
a Junior Secondary School 1 pupil, many
strokes of the cane for wearing the scarf.
It was learnt that Aisha wore the scarf
outside the class in the school premises on
February, 5, but she was apprehended by
Ukpaka, who had warned against such
practice.
It was said the principal immediately called
an emergency assembly after apprehending
the teenager to address the issue.
A pupil on the assembly, who pleaded
anonymity for the fear of reprisal, said
Aishat was given no fewer than 43 strokes
of the cane.
She said, "At about 4pm on that day; we
had closed before we heard that there was
an emergency assembly.
"The principal addressed us and warned
that if we didn't stop putting on religious
outfit during the school hours, we were
going to get into trouble. She subsequently
called on Aisha and gave her about 43
lashes.
"Some of us started crying on the assembly.
Her body was covered with marks of the
cane. The principal had warned us before,
but that day was more serious."
Aisha told our correspondent that since the
school had closed, she thought that the
principal's warning would no more apply.
She was however, prevented from talking
further by her father, Rasak Alabi.
When contacted, the principal declined
comment, saying as a civil servant, she was
not allowed to talk to the press.
The Vice principal of the school, Mr. S.
Ajide, however, said the school had
appealed to the parent of the pupil.
He said, "The principal is not a harsh
person. The beating just came like that. We
have pleaded with the father of the girl and
he has accepted."
Rasak, who had earlier said he wanted his
daughter to forget the "sad experience",
however, insisted that there was no basis
for the beating because his daughter did not
flout any law.
He said, "When I heard that my daughter
was flogged because of hijab, I never
believed it until I got to the school. I was
amazed that my daughter was abused to
that extent. On the Assembly for that matter,
that is totally wrong.
"To me, the principal has gone too far. There
is freedom of religion anywhere in the
world. I see no reason why my daughter
should be denied her right to practising her
religion. I urge the Lagos State Government
to please intervene in this. It should not
continue.
The Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria,
Lagos State Area Unit, also described the
act as "unprofessional and disgrace".
The Public Relations Officer of the group,
Mr. Sulaimon Alamutu, said the principal
violated the constitution of the country
which guarantees the right to religion.
He said, "The use of hijab by Muslims
anywhere in the country, especially in public
institutions, is a fundamental right issue.
And fundamental human rights are rights
which when denied man become automatic
diminution of his humanity."
It was learnt that the principal, the Islamic
Religious Studies teacher, Rasak and other
people concerned had been summoned by
the Lagos State Educational District IV,
under whose jurisdiction the school
belonged.
The Commissioner for Information and
Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba said the MSS
had sent a petition to the government, who
in turn set up a probe panel to look into the
incident.
He said, "The recommendation of the panel
will play a major role in government's
eventual decision on the matter. For now,
the matter is being investigated."

I don't support the lashing ... but if certain schools are allowed to mandate Hijabs for female students regardless of their religion (as seen in the North), why can't other schools mandate 'no Hijabs'?

I don't support religious discrimination but I believe rules should be applied equally across board.

The principal is another mad fanatic christian who believes they can stuff their (ir)religious practices down the throat of muslims, the woman involves uses well known cruelty associated with the crusades in driving home her point, beating a girl for wearing clothing Mary, the mother of Jesus wore shows the utter depravity in the minds of people like her! Sitting in a corner and inventing a law to fight muslims shows why govts. In Nigeria have to be specific on what is acceptable, I am very certain, they will students who wear the cruxifix to school yet the same mad woman and her sorry sorrowful defenders would find nothing wrong in wearing such symbols to schools, these Islamophobes would continue to find our women wear the hijab, the same way pious women around the prophet pbuh did, the same the mother of jesus is always portrayed as having done whether the hordes of haters and Islamophobe drown them self in a pool of their own spit!