By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The International School, University of Ibadan (ISI) Muslim Parents Forum (ISIMPF) has said it is heading to the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal’s judgement that upheld the University of Ibadan International School’s (ISI-UI) ban on hijabs for female Muslim students.
The Chairman of ISIMPF, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, disclosed this shortly after the Appeal Court ruling on Friday, July 3, noting that the forum was shocked and disappointed, but would not relent.
“As Allah decreed, we lost the appeal, but the struggle continues. We will take this matter to the highest court in the land. We appeal to all to remain calm in the face of what we consider open oppression,” he said.
Meanwhile, the management of ISI announced that it would commence an immediate implementation of Appeal Court ruling stopping wearing of hijab and headscarf on school uniform on Monday, July 6.
The school management announced the implementation of the court ruling in a message sent to the parents and guardians’ WhatsApp platform on Friday.
In the message, the school authority said the school, which the court has described as a private school, expects all students to comply with the rules and regulations.
“Following the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on Friday, 3 July 2026, declaring The International School, University of Ibadan, a private school, all students are required to comply with the rules and regulations of the school.
“Accordingly, with effect from Monday, 6 July 2026, no student will be allowed to wear a hijab with the school uniform.
“Parents and guardians are kindly requested to ensure that their children comply with this directive. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,” the message read.
Recall that the Court of Appeal in Ibadan on Friday, in a split two-to-one judgement, overturned the ruling of the Oyo State High Court, which had earlier permitted the wearing of hijab as part of the school uniform.
Delivering the majority judgement, Justices Biobele Georgewill and K.I. Amadi stated that ISI-UI is considered a private school since it does not receive government funding.
The court also noted that the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling, which allowed hijabs, applies only to public schools in Lagos State and does not extend to private institutions such as ISI-UI.
On fundamental rights, the court held that the right to religion is personal and can be waived. The judges said the students had waived that right by signing the school’s code of conduct, which includes compliance with the uniform policy.
“No infringement of rights was noticed,” Justice Georgewill, who read the lead judgment, said.
However, the court faulted ISI for locking the students in the library for three to four hours, describing it as a violation of their rights. It reduced the damages awarded by the Oyo State High Court from N1 million to N200,000.
The minority judgement, read by Justice Fadawu Umar, upheld the High Court’s decision and dismissed ISI’s appeal for lacking merit.
The seven-year-long legal battle was initiated by 11 female Muslim students of ISI-UI with the support of the Muslim Rights Concern.
