Date: 2019-07-05

The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, Kwara State chapter, has called on the state government to prevail on the management of all public schools to allow pupils of different religious backgrounds to observe morning assembly prayers according to the dictates of their faith.

The society said the call was necessary to forestall a breakdown of law and order in public schools.

The MSSN call came in the wake of a recent incident at Bishop Smith College in Ilorin, capital of the state, in which the school’s Imam was allegedly molested by some members of the school’s staff when he attempted to pray in the Islamic way, immediately after the Christian prayers were said at the school’s assembly ground.

The incident, according to a statement signed by the MSSN Chairman, Nurudeen Ibrahim, occurred on Friday, June 21, 2019.

"The Muslim-dominated city of Ilorin is one of the most peaceful cities in Nigeria. Muslims in Ilorin are accommodating and tolerant. But our tolerance and peace-loving nature is exploited as a basis for the desecration and infringement of our rights.

"Thus, we received the above devastating news with a mix of umbrage and shock. We state that forceful proselytisation of students and assault on Muslims in a public academic institution is not only condemnable and below the minimum standards of tolerance or civility expected in a democratic society, but it is also a violation of the fundamental human rights. It is equally a violation of Section 38 the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999."