12year-old given 43 strokes of cane over hijab

Twelve-year–old and a JSS 1 student of Kadara Junior Grammar School, Ebute Metta, Lagos, Aisha Alabi was recently subjected to very horrible and inhuman treatment by the School Principal, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka, because she used hijab.

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Lagos State Area Unit in a press release signed by its PRO, Sulaimon Alamutu, therefore called the attention of the state government and the entire peace-loving citizens of the state to the inhuman, unprofessional and barbaric act of the principal.

“Our findings show that Aisha wore the Hijab outside the class in the school compound when she was seen by Mrs. Ukpaka who immediately called an emergency assembly and allegedly ordered her to be beaten. The students at the assembly, we learnt, counted no less than 43 strokes of cane landing on the hapless little girl’s body!

This happened on Tuesday February 5, 2013 around some minutes to 4pm. This is quite unfortunate and unacceptable in a country where the constitution guarantees the citizens right to practice and manifest any religion of their choice without any interference from any quarter.”

If all these provisions are clearly guaranteed in the nation’s constitution, we are seriously at a loss as to why Mrs. Ukpaka, who we expected to know better and act accordingly, would deliberately and with impunity; violate the provisions of the constitution. Aside the fact that the principal brazenly violated the constitution, what if the little girl dies in the process of beating her, what excuse would she give as her reason?

This amounts to child abuse!” Mrs Ukpaka’s action demonstrates the deep hatred and disgust that most non- Muslims school principals in Lagos State have against our law abiding female members.

Hers is not the first as others had done similar thing in the past without any disciplinary action against them by the state government. In the light of this, the student body called for the immediate suspension of Mrs. Ukpaka and orders a full investigation into the matter.

“Ours is a law abiding organisation and the state government can attest to this fact. It should be noted that the leadership of the MSSN Lagos State Area Unit had had course in the past to keep its members across the state calm over recurrent abuses and discriminations against our sisters in the face of government’s indifference towards bringing to justice those maltreating them because of Hijab.

However, we must state that failure to take disciplinary action against Mrs. Ukpaka this time around would draw the anger of the entire Muslim Students’ population in the state.”