After 119 days, the Kwara State Government has approved the reopening of Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, for academic activities.
The school was closed down by the government on February 3, 2022, following a crisis between Muslim and Christian parents who besieged the school to defend their respective faith on the wearing of Hijab by female Muslim students in the school.
At least, one person was reportedly feared killed while 11 others were injured during the crisis, according to The PUNCH.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Mary Adeosun, the government announced the reopening of the school effective Friday.
The statement read, “The Ministry’s decision to reopen the school is one of the government’s multi-prong approaches to return normalcy to the school.
“Consequently, all teachers and students are directed to return to their classrooms while the government white paper committee continues the efforts to address pending issues related to the recent disturbance in the public school.
“Similarly, the Ministry restates the government’s position that any Muslim schoolgirl who desires to wear the hijab is allowed to do so in all public schools, including in Oyun Baptist High School Ijagbo, which is owned by the State Government and run with public resources,”
The government urged all stakeholders in the area to give peace a chance and to respect the law, warning that “the government will not hesitate to shut the school again, among other things, if anything threatens the safety of the little children.”
