An Islamic human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has expressed criticism towards Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for allegedly failing to obtain adequate briefing before opposing Shari’ah.
In a statement released on Friday by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC remarked that “Makinde’s comments reflect a lack of understanding of the actual situation.”
The group advised government officials to get adequate briefing before commenting on issues particularly sensitive matters like religion.
“Governor Makinde spoke from a position of ignorance about the subject matter, particularly about the true situation on ground. It is advisable for government officials to get adequate briefing before commenting on issues particularly sensitive matters like religion.
“This is so because neither Muslims nor Christians can allow anyone, not even a governor, to ridicule their religion. That is why any government that does not want to be embarrassed should not make frivolous statements that can be debunked even by children in kindergarten classes.
“To this end, it has come to our knowledge that shortly after some uninformed and misguided Yoruba youths declared publicly that they did not want Shari’ah in Yorubaland, Governor Makinde announced in a viral video clip that Shari’ah was not in the constitution which he swore to defend.
“But Makinde lied. Shariah is in the constitution. It is either the governor feigned ignorance of it for reasons best known to him or he was not properly briefed. We expected the governor to have consulted the legal arm of his government before uttering that fallacious statement”, Prof Akinola said.
The MURIC leader, Professor Ishaq Akintola, emphasized that Section 275(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria permits states to establish Shari’ah Courts of Appeal.
He clarified that Governor Seyi Makinde was capitalizing on a typographical error made by the organizers of a Shari’ah program in Oyo Town. The invitation had incorrectly stated “Inauguration Ceremony of Shariah Court in Oyo Town and its Environs” instead of the intended “Inauguration Ceremony of Shariah Panel in Oyo Town and its Environs.”
He said, “The governor deliberately exploited the typographical error because we know that he cannot claim to be unaware of the existence of many Shari’ah panels in Yorubaland.
“A Shariah Panel has been sitting at the Central Mosque in Oja Oba, established since 1st May, 2002 to date. Makinde met the panel there and it will still be there when he leaves office in 2027. There is nothing he can do about that.
“Shari’ah panels are spread all over Yorubaland. It has been in Lagos since 1993. Ogun State got its own Shari’ah panel on 17th January, 2018 and its first sitting took place on 2nd February of the same year at the Egba Muslims Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta.
“Oshogbo got a taste of the Shari’ah panel in 2005 and it is on record that conventional courts in Osun refer Imamate and inheritance cases to the Shari’ah panel. The latest and newest is the 11-member Ekiti State Shari’ah Arbitration Panel which was sworn in on Friday, 1st November, 2024
“These Shari’ah panels were established as alternative dispute settlement centres for Muslims. They are not conventional courts per se but channels for Muslims to ventilate family disputes and vehicles for tackling Muslim civil matters like inheritance, marriage and divorce which can only be understood and satisfactorily resolved by experts in Islamic law”.
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He stated, “The governor intentionally exploited the typographical error, as it is implausible that he is unaware of the numerous Shari’ah panels already operating in Yorubaland.
“A Shari’ah Panel has been functioning at the Central Mosque in Oja Oba since May 1, 2002. Makinde found it there when he assumed office, and it will remain there even after he leaves in 2027. There is nothing he can do to change that.
“Shari’ah panels are widespread across Yorubaland. Lagos has had one since 1993, while Ogun State established its panel on January 17, 2018, with its first session held on February 2, 2018, at the Egba Muslims Central Mosque in Kobiti, Abeokuta.
“In Oshogbo, a Shari’ah panel was established in 2005, and conventional courts in Osun State have been known to refer cases involving Imamate and inheritance to the panel. The most recent development is the 11-member Ekiti State Shari’ah Arbitration Panel, inaugurated on November 1, 2024.
“These Shari’ah panels serve as alternative dispute resolution centers specifically for Muslims. They are not conventional courts but provide avenues for addressing family disputes and other civil matters such as inheritance, marriage, and divorce, which require the expertise of Islamic legal scholars.”
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