Date: 2022-02-22

The family of Habeeb Idris who was killed during the renewed Hijab crisis in Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo and some Muslims in Kwara State have demanded N113, 388,000 as compensation (diyyah) from the state government. The Muslims and the family had earlier returned the N1m offered the deceased family by the government during a meeting with the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Mamman Jibril.

The 11 Muslims who were badly injured during the attack also returned the sum of N250,000 given to them by the Kwara State Government through a letter by Abdullahi Abubakar and Taofeeq Mustafa (victim) on behalf of Offa/Oyun Muslim Community.

Addressing newsmen in Ilorin, the state capital on Monday, the chairman of Kwara Muslim Youths, Ustaz Abdurrazzaq Al-Amin, further asked the state government to award adequate, reasonable and fair compensation to the 11 fatally injured Muslims during the Ijagbo hijab crisis.

According to him, the government should take full responsibility for the hospital bills and incidental expenses of the injured Muslims during the crisis. "The government should avoid in its official and unofficial communications referring to the public schools as mission schools.

"This is very contemptuous of courts' judgements/orders. In the eyes of the law, there is nothing like missionary-owned schools in Kwara State.

"Official discipline/sanctions of the authorities of Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, who flagrantly refused to implement courts' judgements and government circulars on the use of hijab and for paying superior loyalty to CAN instead of its employer; Kwara State Government," he said.

Al-Amin also requested that the contemplated reopening of the shut Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, to host the forthcoming Baptist convention/conference should be stopped, adding; "that insensitive action of Kwara State Government would amount to dancing on the grave of our late Habeeb Idris."

As a solution to the lingering crisis, the leader of the Muslim youths demanded full implementation of the judgements of the Kwara State High Court and Court of Appeal on the matter.

"He also demanded for the consequential circular issued by the state government on the ownership of the schools in general and the unhindered use of hijab in all government owned-schools in particular."

The counsel to the Ijagbo Muslims on the issue, Ibrahim Akaje, told Daily Trust that it was baffling that no arrest has been made by the police since the issue was reported.

When contacted, the SA Religion to the Kwara State Government, Ibrahim Dan Megoro, declined to make comment on the matter.