KWARA – Sultan of Sokoto, Dr. Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has blasted the Ilorin University after banning a Nigerian law graduate’s call to the bar for donning a hijab during the ceremony.

“His eminence wonders while Hijab has now become a controversial issue. Hijab simply means decent dressing, decent dressing by the females. So why should decent dressing be a problem? The Hijab is just an Arabic word. In English it means decent dressing,” Prof. Sanni Abubakar Lugga, member of NSCIA, who represented the Sultan, said, The Daily Post reported.

Prof. Lugga was speaking on Saturday during the fifth National Convention of Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC).

The issue of hijab ban controversy became public after Amasa Firdaus, an Ilorin law graduate, was banned from attending her gradution ceremony for donning a hijab.

The Sultan of Sokoto confirmed that hijab was a symbol of faith in Islam, Christianity and Judiasm.

“His Eminence has asked Nigerians to reflect and see that this is not only an Islamic mode of dressing but a Christian mode of dressing. It is also a Judaism mode of dressing and it is a dressing for every decent woman. It is a dressing for any woman who wants to preserve her chastity in public,” Prof. Lugga said.

“Secondly, in Nigerian constitution it is absolutely clear. Why should Nigerian Muslims be molested and even denied their own right? The Appeal Court ruling in Ilorin is there, the Appeal Court in Lagos and also the High Court all delivered judgement in favour of Hijab.

“Justice Alooma, the former CJN, Justice Bukalchuwa and other Senior Justices in Nigeria wear their Hijab and then the wig on top of it. The Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC), the Highest body in the judiciary has not said, ‘no, they should stop’ which means the Nigerian constitution allows the Hijab, the Nigerian Courts through these three judgements have allowed the Hijab and the NJC through these senior judges has allowed the Hijab.

“Why will a legal school refuse our sister’s induction into the judiciary simply because she is wearing Hijab? Is the law school saying they are above the NJC, they are above the Nigerian constitution, they are above these three senior courts?”