Police restore normalcy in Ilorin, sue for peace

The Police Command in Kwara has restored peace and order after violence erupted on Wednesday in some of the Mission grant-aided schools over the use of Hijab by Muslim female students.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

According to him, following the announcement by the state government to re-open the schools after they had been closed since Feb. 19, the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bagega, deployed personnel to ensure that peace reigns in the schools.

“The situation grew worse as angry Christian and Muslim faithful started throwing various objects such as stones, plastic chairs and empty can drink at themselves.

“The security operatives deployed there called for reinforcement to calm the situation and the situation has been brought under control.

”Peace and order have been restored in the affected schools and everyone is now going about their normal activities,” the PPRO said.

He however noted that no arrest has been made regarding the incident and no case of injury has been reported at the command.

NAN recalls that the schools were closed on Feb. 19, over a dispute in the usage of Hijab (Muslim female headgear) in Mission schools.

The government set up a committee to resolve the misunderstanding and later announced that the schools would resume on March 8 with willing female students allowed to use Hijab.

The government, however, withdrew the reopening order earlier given over safety concerns as some Christians were not willing to accept the government decision. This led to the continuous closure of the schools.

The affected schools included C&S College, Sabo-Oke; St. Anthony’s Secondary School, Offa Road; ECWA School, Oja Iya; Surulere Baptist Secondary School, and Bishop Smith Secondary School, Agba Dam.

Others are CAC Secondary School, Asa Dam road; St. Barnabas Secondary School, Sabo-Oke; St. John School Maraba; St. Williams Secondary School, Taiwo Isale, and St. James Secondary School, Maraba.