Hijab: Security chiefs meet #Christian leaders over crisis in schools

Security chiefs and representatives of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday held a peace parley with some Christian leaders over the lingering crisis caused by the court judgement allowing the use of hijab in public schools in Osun State.
Sources at the meeting told our correspondent that Aregbesola initiated the peace parley having realised that the threat issued to the Christian Association of Nigeria would not work.
 Some of the security chiefs, who attended the meeting are: Commissioner of Police, Mr. Femi Olanipekun; Director of Department of State Services, Mr. Ike Maduegbuna and the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Ayodele Olusola.
Some  former commissioners were also said to be in attendance at the meeting held at the DSS Office in Osogbo. The former commissioners are: former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Sunday Akere and former Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wale Afolabi among others.

The source said, “The police commissioner, the director of DSS, NSCDC boss and some government representatives were at the meeting.
“The meeting was basically to appeal to the Christian leaders to stop instigating Christian students. The state government and security agencies are worried at the dimension the issue is taking.
“They appealed to them and I believe, there will be a change. They saw reasons with us and also said they were not out to disturb the peace of the state but you know that religious issues are very sensitive.”
He said that those, who came from the Baptist denomination wanted to storm out of the meeting but were persuaded.
The source said the Baptist leaders said they were not told that they were coming to attend a meeting but that they were summoned by the officials of the DSS.
One of the former commissioners, Akere, when contacted on the telephone confirmed the meeting.
He said there was a meeting between government officials and security chiefs  on one side and Christian leaders on another side.
“We appealed to them and they assured us that there would be no crisis. The state belongs to Christians and Muslims and we must not allow the peace we are enjoying to be shattered.”