A human rights lawyer, Malcom Omirhobo, on Thursday, attended proceedings at the Supreme Court dressed in a traditional worshipper’s attire.

Omirhobo, who appeared in court with white chalk-drawn around his right eye, had feathers stuck to his wig and cowry bracelets around his wrists.

He wore his black gown over a white inner shirt with a gourd and cowries dangling on his chest.

He tied a red wrapper around his waist as a replacement for grey trousers lawyers usually wear as part of their uniform.

The barefooted lawyer also had two yellow bell bracelets around his two ankles.

Omirhobo, who described himself as a traditionalist, said he was motivated to appear in court in the unusual attire by last week’s judgement of the Supreme Court affirming the rights of Muslim female pupils to attend school in hijab in Lagos schools.

“I have been missing all along until the Supreme Court gave the judgment on Friday. I interpreted the judgement as a decision that guarantees our rights under Section 38 of the constitution,” he said in an interview with Channels Television after Thursday’s proceedings.

He said if the school pupils can wear hijab, the mode of their worship, to school, any attempts to stop him to appear in his faith’s attire would amount to a violation of his fundamental right.

“I felt confident to appear at the Supreme Court in my religious attire of worship and any attempt to stop me from dressing like this will be a violation of my right, freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” he added.

Omirhobo, whose pictures of him seated with his unusual attire in court circulated online on Thursday, said he attended court as an amicus curia “a friend of the court” and to observe proceedings.

“I had a nice time in court before my lords,” the lawyer said, adding that the Justices of the Supreme Court were pleased with his dressing.

“I went there and sat before my lords, and they were pleased with my appearance until they have to reconstitute,” he said.

Omirhobo said the attire would be his mode of dressing to court in all his future appearances and ensure his children also dress to court in the same way.

He expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court and encouraged the police, those in the Army, the Navy, doctors and others to also dress in their mode of religion in their places of work.

Supreme Court judgement

The Supreme Court had in a judgement delivered on June 17, 2022, granted the use of hijab by female Muslim students in government-owned schools in Lagos.

The case involved the Lagos State Government as the appellant and Asiyat AbdulKareem (through her father), Moriam Oyeniyi, and the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria as the respondents.

Omirhobo, who was barefooted with feathers attached to his wig stated that the decision of the Apex Court can be applied to every other religion.

 

PT