CONFUSION IN OSUN STATE AS "Pupils Wear Religious Regalia To School In Osun …Sing Different Religious Songs In Assembly "

There was confusion at Baptist High School, Iwo, Osun State on Tuesday as some pupils shunned their uniforms and wore choir gowns, white garments, Islamic apparel and other unconventional dresses to the school.

Although no group or individual could be identified as the mastermind of the bizarre dress code by the pupils, there were, however, conflicting reasons for the behaviour. While some people said the unconventional dresses were a way of registering dislike for the same uniform introduced by the government for all schools in the state, others said some Christians who were opposed to wearing of hijab in schools founded by Christian missionaries orchestrated the drama.

The suit instituted on the issue of hijab wearing to school is still pending before an Osun State High Court. But Tuesday confusion reportedly became more pronounced at the assembly ground as the pupils could not listen to their teachers because they were busy lining up themselves along religious lines.

A female pupil, who was dressed in a purple gown usually worn by the choir in the Baptist church, was said to have led Christian students in gospel praises, while her Muslim counterpart dressed in hijab was seen hollering “Allau Akbar” and singing praises to Allah from the same platform simultaneously.

It was learnt that although many other pupils appeared in the government-approved uniform, a few ones who are neither Christians nor Muslims wore clothes with the insignia of their religious beliefs, making the atmosphere in the school chaotic.

The confusion was said to have continued in the classrooms as pupils sang discordant tunes. The confusion, it was gathered, started on Monday and continued on Tuesday morning. The teachers were said to be helpless in controlling the pupils due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The Principal of the school, identified simply as Mr. Arowolo, told PUNCH Metro that that the issue had been reported to the appropriate authorities for action.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Sunday Akere, said the government had been informed of the development and had sent officials of the Ministry of Education to the school on a fact-finding mission.

The Christian Association of Nigeria in the state had protested against the wearing of hijab to schools founded by Christians, describing it as an attempt to wipe away the heritage bequeathed to them by the early missionaries. But the Joint Muslim Action Forum, which is an umbrella body of all Islamic groups in the state, issued a statement, condemning the protest.

The statement was issued by the JOMAF Coordinator, Alhaji Kola Uzamat and Secretary, Mr. Qaasim Odedeji. The group described the prevention of hijab-wearing students from Christian schools as an act of religious intolerance which would not be allowed in the state. The group accused Christians of attempting to sabotage Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s policy which it said was introduced to address the decay in the education sector in the state.

SOURCE: The Punch.

FORMER LAGOS STATE DEPUTY GOVERNOR ARRESTED OVER LAND FRAUD

The Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police on
Tuesday arrested a former Deputy Governor of
Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu.

The 67-year-old, who was declared wanted by the
SFU on June 19, 2013, for allegedly obtaining
N130m from one Cajethan Okekearu, under the
guise of selling a plot of land at Admiralty Way,
Lekki, Lagos, was arrested at her Lagos Island
residence.

In a statement by the SFU Commissioner of Police,
Mr.Tunde Ogunsakin, Ojikutu was said to have
allegedly connived with her son, Samson Ojikutu
Jnr, currently in the United States, to commit the
fraud.

The statement reads in part, “The suspect and
her son were parties to the sale of the land and
both signed the agreement given to Okekerau and
obtained the sum of N130m from him.

“She admitted the crime, but claimed that it was
a genuine mistake of plot identification. After
refunding N50m to Okekearu, she promised to
refund the balance as soon as she disposed her
two properties she put up for sale.

“She equally made an undertaking and payment
plan which was drawn from September, 2012 and
was to terminate by November 2012, but she
defaulted.”

It was learnt that Okekearu became aware of the
fraud after he commenced development on the
land. He was said to be on the verge of
completing the building when the bonafide owner
of the land surfaced.

It was later discovered that the land which the ex-
deputy governor sold did not belong to her. She
actually sold Plot 23 Block 4, said to belong to one
Mr. Afolabi, while her plot, 24 Block 4, already had
a property on it.

It was also discovered that the plot belonged to
late Samson Ojikutu Snr, the suspect’s husband
who died in 2008. The plot was sold by him in
1995, while the suspect appended her signature to
the sale of the land.

The statement added, “It will be recalled that the
suspect sued the Inspector-General of Police, the
Commissioner of Police, SFU and the complainants
in the State High Court at Igbosere, Lagos, with
Suit No. M/581/2013, praying the court to restrain
the police from further investigation into the
matter and violation of fundamental human right.

“The ruling by Justice Obadina on December 17,
2013, dismissed the suit for lack of merit, saying
the Nigeria Police has the power to prosecute the
applicants, Sinatu and her son, Samson, since the
police investigation revealed that there is prima-
facie case of obtaining by false pretences against
them and added that the court would not interfere
or restrain the police from carrying out their
statutory function.”

SOURCE: The Punch.