A number of persons on Thursday sustained various degrees of injuries as protest over the use of Hijab thickened in Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a man in his early 20s was seen being rushed to a nearby hospital after he was reportedly shot at.
NAN reports that the use of Hijab had generated controversy in some missionary schools in the state over the past few months.
The State Government had on Jan. 25, restated its policy and directed management of schools in the state to allow the use of Hijab by willing Muslims without forcing it on anyone or turning them back for using it.
Some Muslim parents and their wards were seen on some major streets of Ilorin on Wednesday protesting against the management of Oyun Baptist High School for turning back some students for wearing Hijab.
A government delegation, led by the Commissioner for Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Kawu, had twice visited the school to resolve the matter.
Another delegation led by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Mohammed Saifudeen, also visited the town for the same reason on Thursday.
Fracas however erupted on Thursday when some Muslim parents stormed the school premises to protest the rejection of their wards and members by the school.
Eye witnesses told NAN that the peaceful protest later degenerated into violence when an unidentified man rushed to the school to inform other protesters of a machete cut.
This triggered an angry reaction from the Muslim protesting parents as they looked around for various weapons to defend themselves, but the police swiftly dispatched them.
The police fired warning shots into the air and also use teargas to dispatch the protesters in order to control the situation as unidentified persons from inside the Oyun Baptist High School, were seen throwing missiles at those outside the premises.
Normalcy was however restored by a combined team of police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Confirming the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Kwara Police Command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, said security personnel had been deployed to the scene to restore peace.
Okasanmi told NAN that normalcy has returned to the school and that security operatives would remain there until the area was safe for the residents.
NAN
“Long-term stress definitely does take a toll on the heart and the mind in terms of heart attacks and strokes,” he said.
Fighting helplessness, managing stress
Carmin said that after 9/11 every minute of the news featured videos of the disaster and interviews with survivors. To deal with her own stress, she took a break from the constant stream of media about the tragedy.
“It was 24/7,” she said. “People were becoming traumatized from listening to the news.”
Sometimes the answer to stress about the state of the world can be as easy as turning off the TV, logging off social media and having a quiet moment alone to focus on yourself, Carmin said. Exercise, reading, meditation or spending time with loved ones and pets are simple yet effective ways to alleviate stress.
“I often encourage people to think about what you enjoy doing. What makes you happy? And can you focus on that and do those things?” Carmin said. “Who haven’t you talked to in a while?”
For good heart health, doctors recommend carving out time each day for a healthy activity such as walking or yoga and getting six to eight hours of sleep nightly. Catherine Theiler works out at the gym at OhioHealth's McConnell Heart Health Center on Columbus' Northwest Side.
For good heart health, doctors recommend carving out time each day for a healthy activity such as walking or yoga and getting six to eight hours of sleep nightly. Catherine Theiler works out at the gym at OhioHealth’s McConnell Heart Health Center on Columbus’ Northwest Side.
Carmin said she encourages patients to think about their passions and to reflect on differences they can make in their own lives to fight feelings of helplessness in the face of disaster such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We don’t have as much control as we might like, nor are we necessarily going to be able to change everybody’s opinion on some of the topics to be consistent with ours,” she said. “You can’t change the world, but you can change your piece of it.”
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For those concerned about their heart health, Stiver recommends carving out time each day for a healthy activity such as walking or yoga and getting six to eight hours of sleep each night. A quality diet and lifestyle tend to slip in times of stress, and drinking less alcohol, eating less fast food or smoking less cigarettes will benefit overall health.
Being mindful of your physical health is good way to start decreasing the effects of stress, he said.
“Stress is sometimes the easiest thing to point a finger at for a cause, but the hardest thing we have to treat,” Stiver added.
Almost any form of exercise or movement can increase your fitness level while decreasing your stress.
Sometimes coping mechanisms are not enough to keep stress at bay, and the physical and mental symptoms of stress can become more frequent and painful, Carmin said. Those who experience intense feelings of unhappiness or anxiety, or who notice that their stress has disrupted their daily life and has become unmanageable should seek professional help.
She encourages people to reach out to a general practitioner or a psychologist. Some patients also benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy or medication to treat anxiety.
“We’ve always had stress, but this is such a different kind of stress [these days],” Stiver said. “You just don’t have to do this on your own.”