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Ekiti govt disowns Sharia Court sitting in the state 

Ekiti State Government has distanced itself from the Sharia Court or the Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel, which allegedly sat in the State.

 

The Independent Shari’ah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti State held its inaugural public sitting in Ado Ekiti recently, adjudicating two marriage-related disputes.

 

The panel, which was reportedly presided over by three Kadhis namely Imam Abdullahi Abdul-Mutolib, Imam Abdulraheem Junaid-Bamigbola, and Dr. Ibrahim Aminullahi-Ogunrinde, is aimed at providing arbitration based on Islamic jurisprudence.

 

However, in a statement on Thursday, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata (SAN), declared 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 matter, which is regulated by Law” in the State.

 

He said the government is not unmindful of the fact the race for the 2026 governorship election is gathering momentum in Ekiti State and opposition members who cannot fault the performance of the government have resorted to all sorts of unethical practices.

 

Apata, therefore, advised religious leaders to be weary of being used as tools by politicians and fifth columnists because the 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.

 

He said there is an existing legal structure in Ekiti State (i.e. Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal, and High Court) that has been handling issues relating to Islamic, Christian, and Traditional Marriages and inheritance without any rancour or agitation.

 

The Sharia panel

He continued: “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”, adding that “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”.

 

Noting 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 the utmost care, Apata cautioned against activities that may negatively affect the state government’s policy of peaceful coexistence among residents of the State, stressing that the government would not compromise on any action that may hinder the prevailing peace and fester hostility in the State.

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