Date: 2022-02-04

Against the backdrop of yesterday’s attack on Muslim students and Parents in Ijagbo – Kwara State, a Non-Governmental Organization – the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has called for the arrest of all perpetrators of violence leading to the killing and wounding of some Muslims at Oyun Baptist Grammar School Ijagbo Kwara State today.

Following the reports lodged with the Kwara State Government through the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission and Ministry of Education & Human Capital Development in the last three weeks, it was reported today that some people parading themselves as owners of Oyun Baptist Grammar School Ijagbo in Oyun Local Government today attacked Muslim Parents and Students in an attempt to continue the prevention of female Muslim students to enter the School unless they remove their hijab.

The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has condemned the criminal acts of some misguided elements within Ijagbo and Offa Axis of the State using religion to foment trouble which has led to wounding and killing of some people by some Christian fanaticism the town today.

In a Press Statement released today by Group and jointly signed by the National Coordinator of the Group Alh. Abdullahi Ibrahim and Chief Missioner of the Group in Kwara State Sheikh Abu Sheriff, the Group called on the Kwara State Commissioner of Police Mr. Tuesday Assayamoh to ensure that criminals involved in today’s crisis are arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

The statement recalled the two judgements delivered so far on hijab and ownership of Schools formerly owned by the Muslim and Christian Missions in Kwara State which favoured the Kwara State Government as owners of Schools and use of hijab as a fundamental human right and called on Security Agencies to deal with anyone fomenting trouble. The Group remarked that since April last year when the matter was amicably settled between KWSG and Kwara CAN, using Ijagbo as a fresh location of attack by some misguided elements as irreligious, unpatriotic and condemnable.

On the Appeal of the two judgements which is at Supreme Court, the Media Watch Group noted that trouble-makers have no regard for the rule-of-law that was why they went to Ijagbo to launch fresh attacks on Muslim students and their Parents.

The Group, therefore, called Kwara State Government to enforce its orders as contained in the circular released last year which is being obeyed in all Public Schools in the interest of peace and that maintenance of peace, law and order is the responsibility of any responsible Government, failure of which there would be anarchy.

Signed
SHEIKH ABU SHERIFF
Kwara State Chief Missioner
Muslim Media Watch of Group of Nigeria

Signed
A. IBRAHIM, FCIPM
National Coordinator,
Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG)

3rd February, 2022
2nd Rajab 1443