Will the 2014 hijab protests in Osun be rekindled again?

This is the questions on the lips of many as an Osun State High Court, on Friday, ordered that female Muslim students in government owed schools are free to wear hijabs to school.

In early 2014, the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, introduced a reclassification policy into the education sector and approved hijab wearing in schools.

However, this was met with stiff opposition from Christians who saw the legalization of hijab as a way of making Osun an Islamic state.

As always this pitted the Muslims and Christians in the state as both religious groups argued their cases on why their religious practice(s)/tradition should be respected.

Protests broke out in the state even as Muslims in the state dragged the state government to court.

Delivering the judgement filed by the Osun State Muslim Community, Justice Jide Falola, ruled that the wearing of hijab in school was a fundamental right of the students.

To forestall any breakdown of law and order in the state, police officers were deployed to the court premises as early as 7am.

Again, the question remains: will the protests return?

Mazi Emeka