The management of Federal Staff School, Adewole, Ilorin, has refuted claims of religious bigotry. In a rejoinder jointly signed by the Chairperson of the Kwara State chapter of the National Forum of Heads of Federal Government Establishments in Nigeria, Mrs Fausat Folashade Kadir, and the Secretary, Mrs Ilufoye Kafayat, the management dismissed the allegations, describing them as “fabricated and malicious lies.”

The school, established decades ago by Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state, was, however, registered as a private concern.

It will be recalled that a group of parents had recently alleged that willing Muslim female pupils were being denied the right to wear the hijab in both the primary and secondary sections of the school.

Following this, some parents reportedly submitted a petition to the Kwara State Ministry of Education, accusing the management of religious discrimination against Muslim girls.

Sources reported that a planned protest by the parents was later averted following the prompt intervention of some stakeholders in the state. According to the rejoinder issued yesterday in Ilorin, the management reaffirmed that respect for freedom of worship remains sacrosanct. “It is on record that the management respects the secularity of our existence and has never played down on rights to the religion of any student or staff. It was jointly decided in our general meeting that the status quo ante should be maintained when tempers flared some years back in the school as a result of a clash of interests between Christian and Muslim parents,” the statement read.

“The management frowns at discriminatory dressing that negates uniformity. Female Muslim pupils and students are allowed to wear their hijab to the mosque for prayers and during MSS programmes, but must remove it in class.

“A modern mosque and chapel were built in the school to enable learners to worship with ease and at their comfort. It is, therefore embarrassing to label the school’s authority of wrongdoing with recourse to religious dressing. The general public is hereby enjoined to disregard the fabricated and malicious online posts and commentaries insinuating religious tension in the schools—far from it.”

The communique further noted that, following the intervention of the state Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, the management, subject to approval by the forum’s general meeting, had resolved to design and produce a customised hijab for Muslim female pupils and students.

“The hijab will be customised to meet the standard and uniformity with the school uniform. It will take a few moments before the final production, and the usage will commence during the second term in 2026. Until the final production of the hijab by the management, the status quo ante shall be maintained without further provocation,” it added.

The management appealed for calm and expressed appreciation to the Commissioner for Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, the media, and parents for their peaceful interventions.

It also recalled that agitations for the use of hijab in some schools in the state had, years ago, led to chaos and almost degenerated into a religious crisis. Christian mission schools, though government-funded, had resisted the introduction of the veil.

The situation was later resolved after the intervention of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in agreement with some Christian leaders, allowing interested Muslim female students to wear the hijab in schools.