Several Muslim groups have called on Nigerians and authorities to uphold the constitutional and religious rights of Muslims to adjudicate matters in accordance with Islamic law.
At a press conference titled “State of the Nation” in Ibadan on Tuesday, the Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria and the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria emphasized that the push for Shari’ah courts is not an attempt to Islamize the country.
Sheikh Abdulrasheed Hadiyatullahi, President of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, clarified that Shari’ah courts are intended solely for Muslims and individuals who voluntarily seek adjudication based on Islamic principles.
He stressed that their establishment does not infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.
He further stated that Yoruba Muslims harbor no ill will toward any group and remain committed to religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
“The failure of state governors in the South-West to formally establish Shari’ah Courts of Appeal led to the setting up of independent Sharia panels across various Muslim communities.
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“This does not violate any law; rather, it helps to resolve many disputes that could have to queue at our already congested, unaffordable, strenuous and time-consuming bureaucratic process of conventional court processes.
“The genuine Yoruba Muslims, mostly populated in South-West Nigeria, therefore, demand for the establishment of Shari’ah courts as being operated, constitutionally, in some other states,” he said.
Former Executive Secretary of the Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Daud Noib, emphasized the need to educate the public about the Shari’ah court, stating that opposition to it stemmed from a lack of understanding of its application.
Additionally, the groups called for fair representation of Muslims in President Bola Tinubu’s appointments.
The event was attended by notable figures, including Kamil Oloso, a former lecturer in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Ibadan, and Ishaq Akintola, Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), among others.
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