The Court orders NYSC to allow skirts for the members of the female body

The Federal Court of Abuja has declared the refusal of the National Youth Service Corps to allow members of the female body to wear skirts in compliance with their religious beliefs as unconstitutional and a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion.

In a sentence pronounced on June 13, 2025, a real certified copy was spotted on Sunday, judge Hauwa Yilwa said that the application of the NYSC pants as the only acceptable uniform for participating women violated constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of religion and human dignity.

The cases, initially presented separately by the former members of the body Ogunjobi Blessing and Ayuba Vivian, were subsequently consolidated due to their legal similarities and judged together by judge Yilwa.

In the seeds marked with FHC/Abj/CS/989/2020 and FHC/Abj/CS/988/2020, the candidates claimed that being forced to wear pants contradicted their Christian faith, citing Deuteronomy 22: 5, who played how to prohibit women to wear clothes associated with men.

The candidates, in their separate causes, had sought the application of their fundamental rights on freedom of religion, claiming that these rights had been violated by the interviewees.

Listed as interviewees in the causes were the National Youth Service Corps and the general manager of the NYSC.

Their applications were submitted pursuant to order 11, rules 1–5 of the rules of fundamental rights (application procedure) 2009; Sections 38 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended); Articles 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 17 and 19 of the African card on human rights and populations; and under the intrinsic jurisdiction of the Court.

They searched for the following reliefs, “a declaration according to which the rejection of the NYSC to recognize and allow skirts as part of the uniform of the NYSC constitutes a violation of the applicant’s right pursuant to section 38 (1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended), as well as Deuteronomy 22: 5 of the Bible and an incorrect case of planning 2, article 1 (A) (D) of NYSC), as well as Deuteronomium 22: 5 Bible and an incorrect discomfort of planning 2, article 1 (A) (DA) of NYSC (by 1999 (modified), which was modified in 1999.

“A declaration according to which the use of skirts by the applicant in the NYSC scheme is part of his fundamental rights on freedom of religion and to express the same in the practice and compliance provided for by section 38 (1) of the 1999 (modified) Constitution.

“A declaration according to which the harassment, embarrassment and humiliation suffered by the applicant at the hands of the NYSC officials constitute a clear violation of his rights to freedom of religion and to manifest himself in practice, as well as the right to human dignity and protection from the degradation of the treatment.

“An order that convinces the interviewees, their servants, agents, individuals or anyone who acts on their behalf, to recognize, allow and provide skirts for the applicant or any member of the female body who wishes to wear the same in accordance with section 38 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Deuteronomy 22: 5”.

They also requested damage to ₦ 10,000,000 and any further order that the honorable court may consider it appropriate to do in circumstances.

In his decision, the Court said that the insistence of the NYSC on the pants has not only violated the right of applicants to demonstrate their religion pursuant to section 38 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), but also subjected them to undue and degraded harassment.

Judge Yilwa, in a sentence, granted both applicants all the requested rescue and issued identical orders in both cases.

“A declaration that the refusal to allow skirts for religious purposes is unconstitutional.

“An order that requires the NYSC to recognize and allow the use of skirts for members of the female body with authentic religious objections.

“A directive that convinces the NYSC to remember the former members of the body concerned and issue their certificates accordingly,” said the court.

The Court also declared that the harassment, embarrassment and humiliation suffered by the applicants at the hands of the NYSC officials constituted a clear violation of their fundamental rights on religion and the freedom to practice it.

The judge assigned ₦ 500,000 to damages to each applicant for the violation of their fundamental rights.

Although both candidates had requested ₦ 10 million damages, the Court considered ₦ 500,000 adequate in circumstances.

The judgment underlined that denying candidates the opportunity to complete their national service due to their clothing was equivalent to religious discrimination.

“The actions of the interviewees involved that applicants were embarrassed and humiliated.

“This is a clear violation of their fundamental rights,” said judge Yilwa. [Eagle Online]

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