Many have been recorded injured following a protest in Kwara over the use of Hijab in Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo of Oyun Local Government Area.
During the protest on Thursday, a man in his early 20s was seen being rushed to a nearby hospital after he was reportedly shot.
The state government had on January 25 restated its policy and directed management of schools in the state to allow the use of Hijab by willing Muslims without forcing it on anyone or turning them back for using it.
On Wednesday, some Muslim parents and their wards protested against the management of Oyun Baptist High School for turning back some students wearing Hijab.
A government delegation led by the commissioner for education, Sa’adatu Kawu, had twice visited the school to resolve the matter.
Another delegation led by the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy Affairs, Mohammed Saifudeen, also visited the town for the same reason on Thursday.
Fracas however erupted on Thursday when some Muslim parents stormed the school premises to protest the rejection of their wards and members by the school.
Eyewitnesses told NAN that the peaceful protest later degenerated into violence when an unidentified man rushed to the school to inform other protesters of a machete cut.
This triggered an angry reaction from the Muslim protesting parents as they looked around for various weapons to defend themselves, but the police swiftly dispatched them.
The police fired warning shots into the air and also use teargas to dispatch the protesters in order to control the situation as unidentified persons from inside the Oyun Baptist High School, were seen throwing missiles at those outside the premises.
Kwara police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi said normalcy had been restored, adding that security operatives would remain there until the area was safe for the residents.
