The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has stated that the Nigerian Constitution permits the establishment of Shariah panels in the South-West region of the country.
JNI, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, emphasized that Section 275 of the 1999 Constitution grants states the authority to establish Sharia courts and, by extension, Shariah panels.
The group argued that this provision allows Muslims in the South-West to create such panels to handle civil cases involving Muslim parties.
This position was outlined in a statement issued by JNI Secretary General, Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, in Kaduna State.
The statement read: “The undue resistance, inflammatory rhetoric, and outright distortion of facts by certain groups opposing these panels are deeply concerning and least expected from a people that claim to be tolerant.”
It further explained that “The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the religious freedoms of all citizens, including Muslims. Specifically, sections 38 and 275-279 provide for the establishment and operation of Shari’a courts for civil matters where applicable.”
Professor Khalid clarified that Sharia arbitration panels do not infringe on the rights of non-Muslims but serve as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism for Muslims who voluntarily choose to settle personal matters—such as marriage, inheritance, and family disputes—according to Islamic law.
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He added: “For the discerning mind, Islam has very interesting and enriching inheritance codes that have remained inalienable to Muslims’ lives. It is, therefore, mischievous and deceptive to suggest that these panels aim to ‘impose’ Shari’a on non-Muslims.”
According to the JNI, the Shariah panels will “strictly serve Muslims, adjudicating only cases where both parties consent, a practice that exists in various pluralistic societies worldwide.”
Professor Khalid also pointed out that Sharia adjudication is not a new concept in the South-West, stating: “Historically, Yoruba Muslims have settled civil disputes through customary Islamic mechanisms, predating colonial rule, and even under British rule, Native Courts recognised Shari’a-based adjudication in predominantly Muslim communities.”
He urged those opposing the panels to desist from “misrepresentation, unwarranted hostility, and distortion of empirical facts,” calling on them to stop instilling fear against Shariah panels in the public.
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