The right to Freedom of thought, conscience and religion as enshrined in section 38 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is, and has been one of the crucial rights as long as Nigeria is concerned.
This is as a result of the muliti-diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria, of which some, after the colonial era,
adopted and accepted other religions (e.g Christianity) as their own, these various religions share different
views about their deities, and how they ought to live their lives in accordance with the will of their deities.
The mode of life adopted by each religion which is in accordance with the will of their God(s), has greatly
affected their day-to-day activities such as, the food they eat, their social activities, educational activities,
the way they go about their health treatment, and even their mode of dressing and grooming. This paper
seeks to analyse the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion as encapsulated in section 38 of
the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria vis-a-vis Islamic dressing codes in public places.