A civil liberties organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called for the delisting of examination centres where acts of hijab discrimination occurred during the ongoing examination of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Islamic human rights organisation also demanded sanctions against any official of the examination body and centres found culpable.
MURIC’s demand came on the heels of a viral video clip showing embarrassing moments when a Muslim candidate of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination was publicly harassed and disallowed from entering the examination centre at the Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre, Ibadan.
According to MURIC in a statement circulated to the media on Saturday by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola: ”Nigerians were stunned as they watched a video clip in which female Muslim candidates, including one Fatimah Salaudeen, were forced to remove their hijab as a condition for entry into the examination hall at the Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre, along Sango–Eleyele Road, Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday, 17th April, 2026 (https://punchng-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/punchng.com/jamb-blames-overzealous-ad-hoc-staff-member-for-hijab-incident-at-ibadan-cbt-centre/).
”This action is emblematic of the notorious scenario in apartheid South Africa where ‘Dogs and Blacks Not Allowed’ was the common notice found in swimming pools and other public places. They appear to be telling Nigerians that University education is for Christians only. Those who practice it are therefore committing crime against humanity.
”JAMB itself must be commended for criminalising the profiling of hijab at CBT centers. It is on record that the examination body openly declared its allergy for hijab discrimination (See: Hijab discrimination not part of JAMB examination protocol – Official https://crimechannels.com/hijab-discrimination-not-part-of-jamb-examination-protocol-official/).
”Notwithstanding this red alert, some operators still allowed this criminal act to take place. For proper situational experimentation, we need to visualise what happens when a girl-child is disallowed from entering the examination hall. One can imagine how disturbed and disorganised the female Muslim candidates will be. It will definitely affect their composure for the exam.
“Their educational future immediately hangs in the balance. Their chances of passing the examination are drastically reduced because they are kept waiting outside the examination hall while other candidates continue writing.
“John Dewey, the American philosopher, once described democracy as equal opportunity. But where is the ‘equal opportunity’ for the Nigerian Muslim girl-child as she is turned to a subject of mockery, harassment and humiliation by Nigerian Christians at the entrance of JAMB examination hall? To this extent, democracy in Nigeria is a joke until the fundamental human right of the Muslim girl-child is enforced by governments at all levels.
”Unfortunately, nobody remembers to give the poor girl in hijab who has been denied entry any extra time by the time the matter is resolved and she is allowed to enter and start the examination. This is usually long after other candidates have started the examination and some may have finished. It shows that the candidates have not been given a level playing field. Hijab discrimination is therefore unfair, unjust and inhuman.
”It is alarming that Nigerian Christians are still stereotyping and persecuting the Muslim girl-child several years after the Supreme Court judgement upheld the use of hijab as constitutional simply because she is a Muslim. This reflects absence of religious tolerance, lack of respect for the rule of law and impunity of the highest order.
”The state governments of the South-West stand to be blamed for failing to act, for failing to enforce court judgements which support hijab and for failing to punish those who oppress and persecute the hijab-wearing Muslim girl-child. The silence of all the six state governors of the South-West in particular on the refusal of Christians in the region to allow Muslim girls to freely use hijab in spite of court rulings is deafening and it borders on irresponsibility, hypocrisy and executive recklessness.
”It is didactic to note that all the current Yoruba governors are Christians and none of them has spoken against this religious persecution. The principle of vicarious liability indicts these governors. They have enabled criminality, aided and abetted impunity and encouraged contempt of court.
”Are they waiting for the day Yoruba Muslims will take their destiny into their hands by rioting over hijab persecution? That day may not be too far away but they must blame themselves for their lackadaisical attitude on the issue. They always find it convenient to look the other way when Muslims are at the receiving end.
”MURIC demands that operators of CBT centres, JAMB ad hoc staff and security personnel in centres where acts of hijab discrimination occur must be castigated. The centres in particular should be delisted. The centre operators should not be allowed to claim ignorance (their usual excuse) because they are vicariously liable (unless they show written evidence of instructions to the contrary passed to those who committed the offence.
“MURIC wants to see accountability. We want to see respect for the rule of law. Rules are meant to be implemented for social order otherwise we are inviting commotion. By their attitude towards hijab, some Christians in position of authority continue to show that they have no regard for the rule of law.
“Due to the pro-Christian structure of Nigeria and an anti-Muslim legacy bequeathed to the nation by the Christian colonial masters and contemporary neo-imperialists, Nigerian Christians appear to have the wrong impression that all official matters in Nigeria must follow church rules.
“They see education as Christian education and legal matters as Christian law only to the exclusion of Muslim Shari’ah law. Nay, they also see Christians only as those who have the right to take WAEC and JAMB examinations. Any Muslim seeking education must drop all vestiges of Islam in him or her! His way of worship, his Islamic identity, his Muslim name, his manner of dressing, everything…just like the French total and categorical ‘assimilation’.
“Ceteris paribus, MURIC is of the opinion that the woman who removed Fatima’s hijab and probably the school also, should hear from our lawyer once we establish irrefutable locus standi in order to serve as deterrent to others. That will make other centres who have the same mindset about Muslims know that it is not going to be business as usual any longer.
“We warn that profiling and persecuting Muslims in Nigeria from now on is an invitation to bedlam. We appeal to Christian authorities not to push Muslim youths to the wall. To this end, we are drawing up a list of violators of the religious freedom of Muslims in Nigeria. Persecutors of Muslims on account of hijab and other civil rights will be top on the list which we intend to send to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the United Nations.
