How WAEC Supervisor allegedly assaulted female candidate over hijab.

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has expressed indignation at the attitude of a female West African Examination Council, WAEC official, who reportedly assaulted a female candidate over hijab.

According to MURIC, the incident occurred on Friday, September 2 at Egan Grammar School, Igando, Lagos State, while the candidate, Khadijat Eniola Anisere was taking her biology papers.

The WAEC supervisor who was shuttling from one center to the other reportedly arrived the center and entered the examination hall where the Muslim girl was seated among many other candidates, clad in hijab.

She approached Khadijat and ordered her to remove her hijab. Khadijah reportedly pleaded that hijab was her mode of dressing as a Muslim and further pleaded that she would feel totally naked if she removed the head cover.

Obviously enraged and determined to enforce her illegal command, the WAEC supervisor yanked off the hijab from the girl’s head. Khadijah, whose examination was already interrupted, burst into tears.

She reportedly cried throughout the rest of the examination period and was unable to continue taking the examination.

The incident was reported by members of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) at the human rights desk in Igando Police Station by 10 am on Saturday, 3rd September 2016.

MURIC strongly condemned what it termed a wanton assault on an innocent female Muslim teenager, describing it as “most bizarre, highly barbaric and totally deplorable.

“This is a hate attack and a blatant act of Islamophobia. We see it as part of a grand design to retard the progress of Muslim youths. Christian fanatics working in government agencies like WAEC have been instructed by hate preachers to create bottlenecks for Muslim youths by all possible means.”

MURIC emphasised that section 38 (i) & (ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not only grants freedom of religion but also stipulates its practice and manifestation.