AHEAD of the World Hijab Day celebration on February 1, Muslim women in the co untry yesterday lamented "their frequent harassment" by security agents for wearing hijab.
The women, under the aegis of Al-Mu'Minaat Organisation, in Lagos yesterday listed the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) among others that have allegedly continued to victimise and harass hijabis since President Muhammadu Buhari muted a possible ban on hijab last year.
National Amirah of Al-Mu'Minaat Organisation, Nimatullah Abdul-Lateef, told reporters that despite efforts of the President's Spokesman, Garba Shehu, to put Buhari's statement in perspective, overzealous officers have persisted with harassment by insisting that they unveil or disrobe their hijabs publicly.
Abdul-Lateef said Al-Mu'minaat mentioned incidents of harassment persecution and emotional and psychological anguish hijabis have suffered in Nigeria since December 2015, when hijab was linked to Boko Haram bombings.
Continuing, the Amirah said: "The attempt by authorities of the Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Ibadan office to legislate and limit the hijab standards of Muslim women and free citizens of Nigeria still remain a festering sore in our hearts, while we note with suppressed anguish the harassment of Muslim women in the hijab by officers and men of the Nigerian Army within and without military installations in different cities all over Nigeria.
"Other government agencies trying to rob the Muslim hijabi her right to freedom of religious expression, by demanding that she expose her ears during image capturing are the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and FRSC. We call on the leadership of these agencies to call their men to order," she said.
Responding to claims that Boko Haram sect uses hijab as cover to detonate bombs, Abdul Lateef reminded the Nigerian security institutions that Boko Haram is the enemy and not Muslim hijabis.
She observed that Boko Haram had indeed used several ingenious garbs and artifacts to camouflage its members to carry out its dastardly and evil attacks, including fruits, vegetables, motor vehicles and even fake army and police uniforms.
"In actual fact, several thousand hijabis have been unfortunate victims of Boko Haram attacks, either as deceased victims or living but shattered IDPs, and it would amount to double jeopardy if Nigerian security authorities harass and disrobe chaste Muslim women, when they are indeed supposed to be protecting from our common enemy, Boko Haram."
Instead of banning hijab, she advised the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify their intelligence gathering against the Islamic sect.
