The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, has ordered all parties involved in the legal dispute over the use of the hijab by female Muslim students of the University of Ibadan (UI) International School to maintain the status quo pending the determination of an application before it.

The appellate court gave the order yesterday and adjourned further hearing in the matter until October 7, 2026.

The directive was issued while the court heard an application for an injunction pending appeal and stay of execution filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in suit No. CA/IB/347/2024.

The three-member panel, led by Justice K.I. Amadi, directed that the existing situation be maintained until the application is determined.

The court also restrained the school, its teachers, and administrators from harassing, intimidating, or taking any disciplinary action against the affected Muslim students pending the hearing of the application.

It would be recalled that the dispute dated back to 2018 when some female Muslim students of the University of Ibadan International School, a secondary school owned by UI, were allegedly prevented from wearing hijab.

The parents of the affected students, led by Abdulrahman Balogun, subsequently instituted legal proceedings challenging the school’s action.

In 2024, the Oyo State High Court ruled in favour of the students, affirming their right to wear the hijab in the school.

However, in a split decision delivered last Friday, the Court of Appeal set aside the High Court’s judgment, holding that the Supreme Court’s earlier decision affirming the right of Muslim female students to wear the hijab applied to public schools.

Following the appellate court’s judgment, MURIC filed an application seeking an injunction pending appeal and a stay of execution.