National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members under the aegis of Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria (MCAN) have kicked against the alleged ban on hijab at the NYSC orientation camps across the country.

They said: "Nigeria is a secular country and no one should be hindered from aligning with his or her religion principles."

The Amir of the North-central zone of MCAN, Mallam Muhammad Yusuf, stated this on Sunday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, when the representatives of the association paid a courtesy visit on the pioneer Grand Khadi of the state, Justice Abdulkadir Orire.

According to him, "members of the association were subjected to humiliation in South-eastern part of the country as many of them are on the verge of being sent out of their accommodation.

"Other challenges facing the association include lack of finance to carry out their programmes, lack of accommodation and forcing of sisters to remove their hijab."

Justice Orire had earlier told the delegation of how MCAN was formed in 1981 after which a guiding manual was prepared for it by the Islamic Education Trust (IET) in Minna, Niger State.

"The manual guides Muslim corps members on how to use their service year to serve Allah and the nation successfully," he said.

advised them to liaise with state executives in ensuring that the manual is put into proper use.

Orire also tasked them on the need to have executives in place in all the states of the federation, national executive body and bringing together of all delegates from all the states.