By Ayodele Oni
Amidst report of commencement of a Sharia Court in Ekiti State, Government has denied the existence of either the Sharia Court or the proposed Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in the State.
The report indicates that the Shari’ah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti State was formally inaugurated by the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in October 2024 in Ado Ekiti, with primary purpose of providing a platform for resolving disputes, especially civil matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, in line with Islamic principles for Muslims and willing participants.
However, the State Government and the National Council of Muslim Youth Organizations (NACOMYO) have faulted the report.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata (SAN), said that the Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel is not in the judicial structure of the State, noting that “Arbitration and/or Mediation issue is a Quasi-Judicial matters which are regulated by Law” in the State.
Apata said there is existing legal structure in Ekiti State such as Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal and High Court, which have been handling issues relating to Islamic, Christian and Traditional Marriages and inheritance without any rancour or agitation.
According to him, “the Sharia Courts in the North are equivalent to the Customary Courts in the Southern part of Nigeria, wherein the Appeals therefrom also goes to the Sharia Court of Appeal.
“The State similarly has Customary Courts that hear customary cases as well as the Customary Court of Appeal that hears appeals from the Customary Courts.”
The commissioner explained that the States High Courts and all other Courts also have Arbitration and Mediation mechanism.
Apata emphasised that Customary Courts and the Customary Court of Appeal can effectively take care of any customary issues arising from Yoruba Traditional Marriages, Islamic Marriages, and Christian Marriages especially the ones that were not backed-up by the Statutory Marriages which can only be dissolved by the States High Courts throughout Nigeria.
While noting that the issue is a religious matter that must be handled with utmost care, Apata however cautioned against activities that may negatively affect the State government’s policy of peaceful coexistence among residents of the State, stressing that government would not compromise on any action that may hinder the prevailing peace and fester hostility in the State.
“Government is not unmindful of the fact the race for 2026 Governorship election is gathering momentum in Ekiti State and opposition members that cannot fault the performance of the State Government have resorted to all sort of unethical practices.”
The commissioner therefore advised religious leaders to be weary of being used as tools by politicians and fifth columnists because Government will not hesitate to invoke the full weight of the law to protect the Constitution of the Federation and maintain peaceful co-existence in the state.
Ekiti NACOMYO, in a statement signed by the coordinator, Alhaji Mudasiru Yusuf
stated that “This person, who has declined to reveal his identity, has been spreading false information and derogatory remarks about the Muslim community on social media. NACOMYO Ekiti will not respond to his unfounded accusations in order to honor such a character.
“Before we even consider interacting with this person, we require that he disclose his actual identity, including his name and address. It is intolerable for someone to propagate hate and lies while remaining anonymous.
“Additionally, we urge security forces to look into this person’s actions and take the required steps to stop him from endangering the public and the Muslim community.
“NACOMYO Ekiti is dedicated to fostering understanding, harmony, and peace among all people, irrespective of their ethnicity or religion. We will not be distracted by faceless charlatans who seek to divide us.”
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