A parent, Dr. Idris Olabode Badiru, on Thursday, raised the alarm over what he termed as molestation and inhuman treatment of his daughter, Ikhlas Badiru, by the Principal of International School, Univerity of Ibadan, Mrs. Phebean Olowe, the School Accountant identified as Mr. Odewale and other staff of the school.
Badiru, who has two children, a male and female that are currently attending the school, raised this alarm via a “save our soul” message sent to DAILY POST in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Our correspondent recalls that the use of Hijab has since November 2018 has been generating a lot of controversies, which made parents of some Muslim students to jointly sue the school, its principal, University of Ibadan and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the school who also doubled as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university.
An Oyo State High Court under the leadership of Justice Ladiran Akintola, however on 26th June 2019 struck out the suit filed by the parents on the basis that the petitioners are not supposed to file the case jointly.
Badiru, who stated that he was aware of the court pronouncement, however, insisted that it will be illegal for the school principal and other staff of the school to deprive her daughter the right to wear Hijab outside the school preemies.
The don, who said he want the issue to be addressed urgently, maintained that it is absurdic to hear that the principal of the school was victimising her daughter for wearing Hijab outside the school preemies.
Badiru said, “Earlier this week, my children (a girl and a boy) informed me of ISI principal’s decision to prevent students of the school from wearing any adornment on the school uniform inside and outside the school premises. I found the outside part absurd and downplayed the information.
“On Wednesday, 3rd July 2019, I took my children to school and noticed a small crowd of students gathered about 80 metres or thereabout away from the school gate. My children promptly informed me that the accounts section was checking payment clearance before allowing them in.
“The security man and Mr. Odewale of the accounts section were issuing some instructions. I then moved closer and learnt that they wanted my daughter to remove her Hijab before walking down towards the gate and she refused. I felt enraged as any reasonable man would when his daughter’s honour is violated. Moreover, that space belongs to University of Ibadan, a Federal institution. That was Mr. Odewale’s second time of harassing my daughter over the use of the Hijab.
“At the close of work on Wednesday, I picked my children from the school and was reliably informed that the Principal, Mrs. Olowe went to my daughter’s class to embarrass her during the second period. This annoyed me further as I felt she was psychologically terrorising my daughter, and therefore, informed my friends and elders again who still called for calm.
“This morning, 4th July, I got to the gate and met hordes of UI security men and a couple of gun wielding policemen at the same place. They had stopped my daughter from proceeding towards the gate. I enquired from the Unibadan Chief Security Officer, who led the team and he insisted that my daughter must remove her Hijab, far from the gate and on UI soil, before she could proceed further.
“I felt deprived of my rights to raise my daughter in line with my religious calling, especially within the premises of UI, where I put in my dues as an academic staff. I am however consoled by the fact that I am on the right path and justice will always prevail, no matter how long. Moreover, history is replete with information on the miserable end of all oppressors and their accomplices.”
However, all efforts made by DAILY POST to get reactions of the school principal proved to be abortive. Olowe immediately end the call when our correspondent introduced himself as journalist.
Several other calls put through her telephone line were not answered. Also, an SMS sent to the principal asking her to state her position has not been replied as at the time of filing this report.
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