Chief Malcolm E. Omirhobo claims his decision was based on the Supreme Court’s recent hijab ruling for Lagos schools
Chief Malcolm E. Omirhobo appeared at the Supreme Court in Abuja wearing traditional apparel on June 23. (Photo supplied)
A Nigerian human rights lawyer caused a scene on June 23 when he appeared at the Supreme Court in Abuja wearing traditional apparel.
Chief Malcolm E. Omirhobo claimed he is a traditionalist and argued that his decision was based on the Supreme Court’s judgement that ruled in favor of Muslim students wearing the hijab in Lagos schools.
“I am a traditionalist. I have been missing all along until the Supreme Court gave the judgment on Friday that people can now appear in their religious attire of worship in their schools and public schools,” he told journalists.
“So, in these circumstances, I just interpreted everything and said they have done the right thing by guaranteeing more of our rights under Section 38 of the constitution that gives Nigerians the freedom of thought, conscience and religion from that decision that female students can wear the hijab because it is the mode of their worship and any attempt to stop them from wearing it amounts to a violation of their fundamental right. I said, ‘It is good!’
“So, I said I need to also be appearing in my religious attire of worship because it is good for man to be with God all the time. This is my mode henceforth.”
Because of his action, the Supreme Court was forced to go into recess to reconstitute in the future.
“The import of the hijab judgement is that lawyers can dress in their traditional or religious apparel in courts and schools”
“I am very grateful to the Supreme Court. I am very happy about this. My children will go to school like this. I will encourage my relations, my friends; those in the army; those in the police; those in the navy; doctors; lawyers; they will dress in their mode of worship,” Omirhobo said.
According to one eyewitness, when he entered the hallowed chambers, “the Supreme Court justices had already gone into recess. The man entered before the justices returned from recess and met him in the open court.
“They were shocked but pretended and never contended. The court managed to hear one appeal and struck it out for an invalid notice of appeal. Then they embarked on another compulsory recess because of Chief Malcolm.”
Another source claimed that the Delta-born lawyer “disrupted the Supreme Court sitting without saying a word or taking action. Just a message he passed kept everyone restless. And the Supreme Court uttered no word. They just got up and left.”
One commentator said: “The import of the hijab judgment is that lawyers can dress in their traditional or religious apparel in courts and schools. The chief is a traditionalist and he decided to appear in Delta traditional attire in the Supreme Court today.”
Although opinion is divided on the matter, it is yet to be seen what justices of the Supreme Court or the Nigerian Bar Association will say about the matter.
Although sections 10 and 42 of the 1999 constitution stipulate that Nigeria is a secular state with a multi-religious population, in defiance of the provisions of law, Sharia law is practised in some parts of the north even though the country is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Latest News
Credit: Source link
