You might have seen the videos of a lawyer appearing in court in a “juju worshipper’ attire, also, the other day, a lawyer appeared in court in a pastoral robe and you may also be wondering what is causing this or giving the lawyers the nerve to embark on this kind of religious activism in courtrooms.
People who are not conversant with the background story and the development that led to this will be wondering what is going on amongst lawyers because on regular days if a lawyer appears in court in a costume that is not the approved lawyers’ attire that lawyer will be denied the right of audience in court for not being fit and proper to appear in the court and he will also be held for contempt of court with disciplinary actions melted on him.
**************
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
It all started in 2012 when two-12 years old girls under the aegis of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit approached the court praying the court to hold that the policy of the Lagos state government restricting and banning the use of hijab by Muslim students in schools, especially public primary and secondary school offends their constitutionally provided fundamental human right as provided in S. 38 and that the court should mandate Lagos state government to permit Muslim girls to exercise their freedom of worship as constitutionally provided by allowing them to wear their hijab on their school uniform which is what their religion required of them.
The High Court of Lagos state in 2014 delivered the judgment upholding the ban of the hijab by the Lagos state government in schools.
Displeased by the judgment of the High Court, delivered by her Lordship, Grace Onyeabo, the plaintiffs went on appeal. They approached the court of appeal to set aside the judgment of the High Court maintaining that ban on the use of Hijabs in schools by the Lagos State government offends the provisions of the Constitution, specifically, S.38 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
The court of appeal gave judgment in favor of the plaintiff/appellant, taking the stand of the Muslim students, that ban on the use of Hijab by the Lagos state government is in breach of their constitutional rights thereby upturning the judgment of the Lagos state high court.
The Lagos State government did not accept this judgment of the Court of appeal upturning the judgment of the High Court, so they decided to approach the apex court; the supreme court of Nigeria to appeal against the judgment of the court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court in a 6:1 justice ratio affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal, which removed the ban on the use of Hijab in public schools in Lagos State. The Supreme Court held that the ban on the use of Hijab was discriminatory, unconstitutional, and offends the freedom of worship of a particular sect hence the need to set aside the judgment of the High Court that upheld the ban.
Lawyers and activists have openly and secretly expressed their displeasure with this judgment. This is what led to some lawyers dressing in their “juju worshippers’ attires” and pastoral robes to appear in court, standing on the judicial precedent of the supreme court in the above case that every Nigeria has freedom of religion and on no instance should anyone be denied of that right, not even by the government or the court.
Why I and millions of lawyers support the wearing of juju worshipper’s attire to appear in court
“What is good for the goose is good for the gander”.
If a Muslim faithful’s fundamental right to worship as recognized by the Constitution has been adopted by the supreme court, then juju worshippers’ right to worship should also be recognized and everyone should be allowed and permitted to adorn themselves in whatsoever their spirituality permits in the exercise of that same right.
What seems like a protest amongst the legal practitioners has been going on in the courtrooms in recent times. Lawyers were seen appearing in courtrooms in robes which is not the approved attire for legal practitioners.
This move was started by Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, Esq, a Warri-based lawyer who started attending court hearings in traditional worshippers’ attires in protest of the Supreme Court judgment of upholding the right of Muslim faithfuls to adorn themselves in their Hijabs in public schools and these movements have been joined by other lawyers, some lawyers chose to appear in court in priestly robes and other miscellaneous adornments lately.
It is succinct to point out that what goes for the goose goes for the gander. The Supreme court cannot uphold the rights of Muslim students to adorn their religious apparel on their school uniforms and will want to restrict the rights of any other Nigerian from practicing his or her religion.
It’s either the Supreme subject the judgment to judicial review, and review that judgment or allow every Nigerian to practice his or her religion without any form of limitation or restriction.
In accordance with this judicial precedent, a Nigerian should be able to practice his religion and appear the way the believers that identify themselves with that religion are expected by that religion to appear, be it in public places, courtrooms, schools, or any other place whatsoever and anybody who dare to restrict the right to worship of such individuals can be said to intentionally unlawfully restricting the fundamental human rights of a Nigerian citizen.
Suffice it to say that I am not in any way against the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria upholding the fundamental human rights, specifically the right to worship of Muslim students as provided in S 38 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria thereby removing any restriction or limitations to this right. I am of the view that what is good for Islamic religion faithfuls is also good for Traditional religion faithfuls and also Christians religion faithfuls and any other religion a Nigerian practices.