Human rights lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo on Tuesday vowed not to drop some court cases he instituted purportedly against Muslims in Nigeria.
A Muslim rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), had asked Omirhobo to withdraw his suits against Hijab use, Arabic writing on naira notes, and the Nigerian Army logo if indeed he doesn’t hate Muslims or the Islamic religion.
But reacting, the legal practitioner famous for donning traditional attire to courts, said he wouldn’t listen to MURIC, because his petitions “are patriotic public-interest suits for the benefit of a secular progressive one Nigeria state”.
“I have seen and read the recent publication of MURIC through its founder and chairman board of trustees in the person of Professor Ishaq Akintola asking me to drop three of my suits upholding section 10 of the Nigerian constitution on the secularity of Nigeria as proof that I am not a hater of Islam and Muslims and that I am not a religious bigot. The three suits, referred to by Prof Ishaq are those challenging the Arabic Inscriptions on the Naira note, the Army logo and the approval of the Inspector general of police approval Hijab as official dress code for female Muslim police officers.
“I will not drop the aforesaid suits because they are not hate-inspired against Islam and Muslims as Muric would want Muslims to believe but to the contrary, the suits are patriotic public interest suits for the benefit of a secular progressive one Nigeria state,” Omirhobo said in a statement.
“On my dress code to the supreme court and the federal high court, I don’t see how that concerns MURIC. Dressing in my religious attire is my fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion which is imbued in As long as I have not infringed on anybody’s right or space and as long as I have not violated any known law in Nigeria, nobody can take my right from me. Not the court or even the President of Nigeria
“MURIC is a Defendant in the aforementioned suits which are sub judice so I wonder why it prefers media trial of the suits instead of trial at the court of law.
“MURIC has lodged a petition against me on my alleged misconduct at the supreme court to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee so what more does Muric wants?
“I advise MURIC to preach love and not hate. Stop inciting Muslims against Nigerians of other religions in the already heated polity. Stop her bigotry. Be civil, courteous, and law-abiding.”
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