BREAKING: Shariah Panel Holds First Public Sitting in Ekiti, Resolves Marriage Dispute

The Independent Shari’ah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti State held its first public sitting at the Oja Oba Central Mosque, Ado-Ekiti. This was confirmed by residents of the state and Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights organization, stating that the inaugural sitting of the Shariah panel was held last Thursday.

The panel was presided over by three Kadhis: Imam Abdullahi Abdul-Mutolib, Imam Abdulraheem Junaid-Bamigbola, and Dr. Ibrahim Aminullahi-Ogunrinde, who entertained two marriage-related disputes.

During the first trial, the head of the panel, Imam Abdullahi Abdul-Mutolib, announced that the dispute between the couple was resolved through a consent judgment.

This resolution was facilitated by earlier interventions from family members, which paved the way for a peaceful settlement.

But the panel adjourned the second trial till January 30 for a continuation hearing. The case involved allegations by a wife accusing her husband of neglecting his marital responsibility.

The panel explained that the adjournment would allow additional investigations to ensure a fair decision.

The sitting of the panel came amid a series of opposition from groups against the implementation of Sharia law in the southwestern region of Nigeria.

One of the groups is the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe branch of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, otherwise known as UK Afenifere.

The group strongly rejected the clamour by some Muslims for the establishment of Sharia law in the South-West region.

The group cautioned those clamouring for the establishment of Sharia law in the South-West to immediately desist from such acts to avoid disunity amongst the Yoruba people.

The group said Yoruba people are too intelligent and enlightened to be gaslighted along religious divides.

The group added that the predominantly Yoruba South-West is distinct from the Northern region where Muslims are in the majority.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has said that there are Shariah panels in all Southwest Nigerian states, namely Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti.

He, however, added that all Shariah panels established across the southwestern region of Nigeria lack the power to enforce their judgments.

This was stated by Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola during an interview with SaharaReporters on Wednesday.

Akintola said the panels are like committees without power to enforce their decisions on the parties that appear before them.

He described the speculations that the panel will be entertaining criminal matters and imposing Islamic law punishments as untrue.

“People are spreading blatant lies. The Shariah panels are for civil matters. It cannot go into criminal matters. The Shariah panels also have no power of enforcement. Its judgment cannot be enforced. It is voluntary,” Akintola said.

He continued: “Those who go there go there voluntarily. It cannot send anybody to jail. It cannot seize anybody’s property. It is just a committee. Even in the church, they have their own committee. They have a finance committee. They have a logistics committee. They have a planning committee.

“If they are doing a festival, and the planning committee imposes N20,000 contribution on each church member, can they arrest any church member that does not pay? They can’t do that because they don’t have that power. So also, the Shariah panel has no power to arrest any Muslims who refuse to comply with its decision.”