THE Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) violated the constitutional rights of two former female corps members by refusing to allow them to wear skirts in line with their religious beliefs.
In a judgment delivered on June 13, 2025, a certified true copy of which was reportedly obtained on Sunday, the judge, Hauwa Yilwa, declared the NYSC’s enforcement of trousers as the only uniform option for women a breach of their right to freedom of religion and human dignity.
The suit was filed by Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, who argued that being compelled to wear trousers during their service year contradicted their Christian faith.
Citing Deuteronomy 22:5, they claimed that the policy forced them to violate their religious tenets.
The cases, initially filed separately as FHC/ABJ/CS/989/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/988/2020, were later merged and heard together due to their similar legal arguments. The NYSC and its Director-General were named as respondents.
In one of the declarations sought, the applicants asked the court to hold that: “The refusal of the NYSC to recognise and allow skirts as part of the NYSC uniform constitutes a breach of the applicant’s right under Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Deuteronomy 22:5 of the Bible.”
They also demanded an order compelling the NYSC to permit the use of skirts by female corps members who object to trousers on religious grounds and to compensate them with ₦10 million each for the violation of their rights.
Justice Yilwa granted all the reliefs, including “A declaration that the refusal to allow skirts for religious purposes is unconstitutional, and a directive compelling the NYSC to recall the affected former corps members and issue their certificates accordingly.”
While the court acknowledged the applicants’ claim of humiliation and embarrassment by NYSC officials, it awarded ₦500,000 in damages to each, noting it was adequate under the circumstances.
The judge concluded that denying the women the chance to complete their service year based on their attire amounted to religious discrimination, adding that “This is a blatant infringement of their fundamental rights.”
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.