The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, on Tuesday, rejected the establishment of a Sharia Court in the state, calling on the people behind “the creation or operation of this unauthorized court to immediately cease all related activities and disband the illegal entity and all its apparatus.”
In a statement he personally signed, Abiodun asserted that Ogun State’s legal framework does not recognize Sharia Court, saying only courts recognized by the Nigerian constitution are allowed in the state.
The governor’s statement came in the wake of a flier circulating in the state, announcing the launch of a Sharia Court.
In the flier sighted by our correspondent, the Sharia Arbitration Committee, Ogun State, said, “Alhamdulillah, it’s eventually established in Ogun State. A Sharia Court, which Ogun State Muslims have been yearning for, for ages, is finally here.”
“You can now seek redress or have your case adjudicated based on Qur’an and Sunnah by reputable Islamic jurists.
“The Shari’ah Court, under the able leadership of eminent, reputable, and erudite Islamic scholars like Shaykh Dr. Khidri Mustafa – -Grand Qadi, Shaykh Abdu-r-Rasheed Mayeleke, Dr. Musa Afis, and a host of competent Islamic jurists, is opened to all Muslims, male and female.
“The Shariah Court handles cases on the marital dispute; Imamship tussle; organizational conflict; child custodian and guardianship; and inheritance imbroglio”
However, Abiodun, in his statement, warned against organizers against Sharia court sitting, saying Ogun State only recognizes courts established through the legal framework of the Nigerian Constitution.
The governor said, “The Ogun State Government has noted the circulation of a digital notice announcing the launch of a Shari’ah Court in Ogun State.
“No Sharia Court is authorized to operate within Ogun State. The courts that are legally empowered to adjudicate disputes arising within Ogun State are those established by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or by state laws, which are: Magistrates’ Courts, High Court, Customary Courts, Customary Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.
“No law operating in Ogun State has established a Sharia Court, and Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework by which the Ogun State Government administers and governs society.
“The Ogun State Government upholds and protects the rights of individuals to practice the religion of their choice, or to subscribe to no religion, and recognizes the freedom of individuals to apply their faith in their personal and private matters.
“However, this freedom does not extend to the formation of unauthorized assemblies or institutions. No individual or group is legally permitted to constitute a court or present themselves to the public as a court without legal backing.
“Those behind that notice have no legal backing. They cannot set up a court or administer justice by fiat or public notice.
The development in Ogun State comes a week after the Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji, similarly rejected the establishment of a Sharia Court in his state, declaring it illegal.
Earlier in December last year, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria announced plans to inaugurate a Sharia court in the Oyo town of Oyo State.
The announcement generated a widespread outcry, following which the council postponed the Shariah Court inauguration indefinitely.
Addressing the issue, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, said Shariah Court would only be allowed in the state if it was consistent with the provisions of the Constitution.
About the establishment of the Sharia court in Oyo town, people may try, but for us, I swore to uphold our laws and the Constitution of Nigeria.
“If their actions are within the law, fine; if not, they should expect that I will insist the law must be followed,” Makinde said.
On Monday, pan-Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere and the Christian Association of Nigeria opposed the establishment of Sharia Courts in South-West states.
In a statement on Wednesday, the International Council for Ifa Religion also opposed the establishment of Sharia Courts in the South-West.
Speaking with The PUNCH, the council’s President, Fayemi Fatunde, said, “We have witnessed the consequences of Sharia law in the northern parts of Nigeria. The introduction of Sharia law to the South-West has a hidden agenda of Islamisation, contrary to the narrative being presented.”
Fatunde further argued that if Sharia law is intended to serve only Muslims, adherents of other religions, such as traditionalists and Christians, should also be entitled to separate legal systems, distinct from the Nigerian constitution.
“Even if Sharia law is exclusively for Muslims, allowing it in Nigeria signifies a complete failure of the N
Nigerian constitution and the nation as a whole.
