Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a significant judgment reinforcing constitutional protections of religious freedom, Nigeria’s Supreme Court on February 10, 2026, dismissed an appeal filed by Rivers State University, affirming the right of Muslim students to establish and use a place of worship on campus. The ruling brings to an end a protracted legal dispute that began in 2012 and has traversed three tiers of the judiciary over 14 years.
The case was instituted by Umaru Wazuru alongside 98 other Muslim students who alleged that the university administration denied them access to a designated space for Islamic worship, despite permitting Christian worship activities and maintaining church facilities within the institution. The students argued that the refusal amounted to discrimination and a breach of their fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution.
In 2013, the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt ruled in favour of the students. The trial court held that the university’s actions were inconsistent with Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the right to manifest and propagate one’s religion in worship and practice. The court declared that denying Muslim students a place to worship, while allowing Christian facilities to operate on campus, was unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Unwilling to accept the judgment, the university appealed the decision. However, in 2017, the Court of Appeal dismissed the institution’s appeal, upholding the findings of the lower court. The appellate court affirmed that students do not forfeit their fundamental rights upon admission into a public university and that educational institutions are bound by constitutional standards in their administrative decisions.
The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court of Nigeria, where a seven-member panel of justices considered the appeal. In a unanimous decision delivered on February 10, 2026, the apex court dismissed the university’s appeal in its entirety. The justices affirmed the concurrent judgments of the lower courts and held that the arguments advanced by the university lacked sufficient merit to overturn the earlier rulings.
With the Supreme Court’s pronouncement, the litigation has reached its final legal conclusion. Under Nigerian law, decisions of the apex court are binding and not subject to further appeal. The ruling compels the university to comply fully by allocating a suitable and accessible space for Muslim students to observe their prayers and other religious obligations within the campus.
Legal analysts describe the judgment as a landmark affirmation of constitutional supremacy in the governance of public institutions. By reinforcing the applicability of fundamental rights within university settings, the court underscored that administrative autonomy does not override constitutional guarantees. Public universities, as state-funded institutions, are subject to the same constitutional constraints that bind other government entities.
Throughout the litigation, the core issue was not the right to practice religion privately, which was never in dispute, but rather the denial of institutional recognition and accommodation. The plaintiffs maintained that while Christian worship spaces existed on campus, Muslim students were denied similar facilities, creating an imbalance inconsistent with the principle of equality before the law.
The Supreme Court’s ruling effectively clarifies that where a public university permits religious facilities for one faith group, it cannot arbitrarily deny comparable accommodation to another recognized group without violating constitutional provisions. The judgment is expected to influence policy frameworks across other tertiary institutions in Nigeria, particularly those facing similar interfaith accommodation disputes.
Observers note that the case also highlights the broader challenges of managing religious diversity within Nigeria’s multi-faith society. Universities often serve as microcosms of the country’s demographic composition, hosting students from varied religious and cultural backgrounds. Ensuring equal treatment while maintaining institutional neutrality remains a delicate balance for administrators.
In the wake of the decision, stakeholders within Rivers State University are expected to initiate compliance measures. While the specifics of implementation—such as the exact location and structure of the worship facility—will be determined administratively, the constitutional obligation is now unequivocal.
Civil society groups and religious rights advocates have welcomed the judgment as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s role in safeguarding minority rights and upholding the rule of law. They argue that the prolonged duration of the case underscores the importance of judicial persistence in resolving complex constitutional questions.
For the original plaintiffs, the ruling represents the culmination of more than a decade of legal struggle. What began in 2012 as a campus dispute evolved into a significant constitutional test case, clarifying the scope of religious freedom within Nigeria’s public education system.
The Supreme Court’s decision also serves as a precedent emphasizing that institutional policies must align with constitutional mandates. Universities retain the authority to regulate campus activities, but such regulations must be applied uniformly and without discrimination. Any deviation from this standard is subject to judicial scrutiny.
As implementation begins, attention will likely shift toward ensuring that the court’s order is executed promptly and without administrative resistance. The clarity of the apex court’s unanimous decision leaves little room for interpretive ambiguity.
The judgment marks not only the conclusion of a 14-year legal contest but also a reaffirmation of constitutional protections in Nigeria’s democratic framework. By upholding the right of Muslim students to worship freely on campus, the Supreme Court has reinforced the principle that fundamental rights remain inviolable, even within the administrative structures of public universities.
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