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Kwara gov, police warn against further attacks on schools, churches over hijab

By Odun Edward, Ilorin
24 March 2021   |   4:10 am
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the police command have warned against further attacks on schools and places of worship under the guise of agitation...

[FILES] Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Photo: TWITTER/REALAARAHMAN

Police threaten
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the police command have warned against further attacks on schools and places of worship under the guise of agitation for the use of hijab in Christian missionary schools in the state.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, stated yesterday in Ilorin that the government would no longer treat attempt to foment trouble in any part of the state with kid gloves.

The governor commended Christian and Muslim leaders for their display of maturity in handling the matter, just as he advised them to continue to tow the path of peace.

“The administration appreciates the maturity and forthrightness on both sides. The government is immensely grateful that every side has continued to restrain their followers.

“To this effect, the government condemns, in no unmistakable terms, the attempts by some fifth columnists to foment trouble in parts of the metropolis. The government will never condone this reckless behaviour and the security agencies have their instructions to deal ruthlessly with anyone who attacks fellow citizens or makes any attempt on sacred places or properties under whatever disguise. The attempt is devilish and clearly meant to undermine the progress so far made to build peace and harmony,” the statement read in part.

He urged parents to call their children to order, as anyone found fomenting trouble would have themselves to blame.

“The ongoing dialogue with various stakeholders will continue unhindered and the government urges leaders on all sides to continue to play their roles as statesmen without allowing any fifth columnist to provoke them or derail the peace efforts.”

ON its part, the state’s police command threatened to deal with anyone hiding under whatever guise to cause breakdown of law and order in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, said it had so far treated the hijab issue in the state with high sense of maturity, warning hoodlums to shun further destruction of property or face the wrath of law.

Some charlatans had, on Monday, attacked some places of worship and schools, destroying property in the process.

But Okasanmi debunked claims that churches were razed, shops looted and offices vandalised by protesters in Ilorin.

The command in a statement released about 6:40 p.m. yesterday, insisted: “No single church was burnt, no shop was looted, neither was any business facility closed down as a result of the hijab melee.

“Recall that, the state government shut 10 Christian grant-aided schools over their refusal to allow hijab adorning female students entrance into the schools after a court judgment to that effect. The announcement of the opening of the schools heralded the protests by the church proprietors, who insisted that no female student with hijab would be allowed entry, and the attendant insistence by the Muslims that the female students must be allowed to enter the schools in hijab.”

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