At the heart of the controversy is the distinction between Sharia courts and Sharia panels.
Muslim leaders maintain that Sharia panels are not courts but rather arbitration committees that handle civil matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and disputes over contractual agreements between Muslims.

Sharia court is part of the judicial system in the North where Muslims are dominant in population but there have been agitations for the court to also operate in the South-West where Muslims have a large presence but Christians are dominant in many states of the region.

Implications

In their statement titled, ‘HISTORIC Position of Pan-Yoruba groups on Sharia and Yorubaland’, the 29 groups said:”On behalf of millions of Yoruba people across the world, we, members and leaders of Pan-Yoruba groups representing artisans, workers, students, traders, and professionals spread across Yoruba territories in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara and Kogi States, we speak on Sharia, its implications on the over 2,000-year-old civilisation of Yoruba people. “We do not come as Christians, Muslims, animists, atheists, or traditional worshipers but as Yoruba created same way by Almighty God, the creator of the universe, bounded together by humanity seeking perpetuation of peace, love and progress of Yorubaland.

“We recognise the right to debate the future of the children of Oduduwa and the right to free speech as exemplified in the constitution of Nigeria and in the timeless culture of Yorubaland; free expression, including the right to faith has been an integral part of Yoruba civilisation, dating back to close to 2000 years, a cherished heritage that we have defended and will continue to defend with every pint of our blood; that we have observed the current proposal by a tiny group of people, backed by largely non-Yoruba domestic and international collaborators pushing for the introduction of Sharia in Yorubaland.

Islam in Yorubaland

“Islam is a religion of peace. Yoruba Muslims are proud of the place of Islam in sustainable development in Yorubaland.

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“Islam has made significant contributions to the economic, social and spiritual development of Oodua territories.”Through Islam, education, health and welfare has been promoted in Yorubaland.

“Islam came to Yorubaland in the 14th century during the reign of Mansa Musa (1312-1337). “The first mosque in Yorubaland was built at Oyo-Ile in 1550, followed by another mosque in Iwo (1655), Iseyin (1790), Lagos (1774), Saki (1790) and Osogbo (1889).

“Prior the adventure of Islam in Yorubaland, according to a school of thought on Yoruba history, Oduduwa himself had left the Middle East, partly for religious freedom as early as the 9th century, choosing to settle in a territory known for tolerance and free spirit as directed by God, the creator of heaven and earth. “As far back as the 14th century, the Yoruba have been visiting Mecca for pilgrimage, millions of them settling in Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia and constitute a huge population in East and Northern Africa today;

Sharia in Yorubaland as grand illusion

“We state clearly that the introduction of Sharia cannot improve the economic, political, social and cultural deficit in Yorubaland. “Yorubaland though seen as the most economically developed territory in West Africa, attained this feat not through theocracy but by the hardwork, committment, determination of our forefathers who were both Muslims, Christians and traditional worshipers.”The poverty, misery, lack of access to good health, increasing number of school drop outs, lack of access to economic and political powers by poor Yoruba people, are direct results of poor, visionless and irresponsible leadership which the introduction of Sharia cannot and will not curb.”Poverty, corruption, high mortality rate, terrorism, violence and unprecedented human misery characterise the 12 states where Sharia has been introduced in the North.

“Zamfara State, for instance, has 74% poverty rate while 62% live in poverty; Katsina has 74.1% poverty rate. In fact, Sokoto, the headquarters of the Caliphate, which also operates Sharia, has the highest poverty rate in Nigeria at 79.9%. While the Sharia states have the poorest of the poor, the political leaders that introduced Sharia in these states are some of the richest in the world.

“The Sharia states are currently theatres of war, strife, killings and kidnapping driven by crisis of faith while the Sharia states also have the highest rate of instability in Nigeria. This is the dream of the tiny clique that wishes to Talibanise Yoruba nation; they often learn nothing from history, until their self-destruction is evident.”The hypocritical aspect of Sharia in these states is the bias implementation of the law whereby the rich continue to exploit the poor, steal billions of Naira and go scot free, while the poor and the impoverished who steal fowl have their hands chopped off. “We observe a conscious and tailor-made plot to destabilise Yorubaland through organised sponsorship of divisive, retrogressive and dangerous proposals that will end up causing confusion, disunity and raise the spectre of intra-Yoruba conflict to the delight of our eternal foes;
“We, the true representatives of Yoruba people hereby strongly oppose the introduction of Sharia in any part of Oduduwaland of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Kogi, Edo, Kwara and Ondo states.

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“Sharia is not feasible and can never be acceptable to a multi-religious, muti-faith people like the Yoruba.

Sharia is only applicable in societies where Islam is the state religion or majority of the people profess Islam.”Though proponents of Sharia claim the law is for only Muslims, but the contradictions are self-evident. The Yoruba are bound by blood, history, common fear and shared aspirations, not by religion.

“How can any one conceive Sharia law in a society where Muslim parents have Christian Children and Muslim husbands have Christian or even animist wives and vice versa? There are Yoruba Muslim parents whose children do not go to mosque and Yoruba Christian parents whose children are Baba or Iyalawo.

“This freedom of faith which has enriched Yoruba civilisation for centuries is what religious extremists, rabid and riotous fanatics and religious anarchists, sponsored by international terrorists, are desperate to destroy, fortunately, to their own peril, at the fullness of times.

“The introduction of Sharia in Yorubaland will never be accepted to our people. Having destabilised the North, the proponents want to destabilise the South-West and uproot the very foundation of democracy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The intrigue is political, sponsored by vested interests, aimed at polarising the political and electoral fortunes of Yoruba nation who for many Years have largely defined a common political future.

“We great nation would wish to have different laws for its own people of the same history and the same heritage.

“We, the true representatives of Yoruba people, hereby strongly oppose any attempt, open or covert, to introduce Sharia in any part of Oduduwaland of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Kogi, Edo, Kwara and Ondo states; we hereby warn religious bigots and extremists, including very naïve and shallow-minded political actors, to desist from their plots or they will face the full wrath of Yoruba people”.

‘Deliberate lies’

MURIC, in its counter statement, insisted that the ongoing opposition to the practice of civil Sharia in the South-West as well as “deliberate lies about the Islamic legal system provide strong evidence that there is no religious tolerance in the South-West”.

It also alleged that Muslims in the region were facing religious persecution, social strangulation and forceful assimilation into other faiths.

“There is increasing evidence that extremist Christians and Yoruba nation agitators are behind the opposition to the establishment of Shari’ah panels in Yorubaland”, the group said in the statement signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

“One of such evidence surfaced at the NUJ Press Centre, Ibadan on Wednesday, 15th January, 2025 when one Pastor Oluwafemi J. Edafemi led a Yoruba nation group, the Yorùbá Nation Religious Council (YONAREC) to hold a press conference.

“The group falsely accused Muslims in the region of attempting to ‘forcefully’ introduce Shari’ah in the region.

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“We assert clearly, categorically and unequivocally that at no point in time did Yoruba Muslims make any attempt to ‘forcefully’ introduce Shari’ah anywhere in Yorubaland. We challenge this Yoruba group to provide evidence backing its allegation that Yoruba Muslims are using force to introduce Shari’ah.
“What the Muslims have done in the South-West is to establish Shari’ah panels (not courts) in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti states to cater for family needs of Muslims.

“It is important to note that Yoruba Muslims resorted to setting up these private and informal Shari’ah panels after the state governments in the region refused to establish Shari’ah courts in the region as stipulated in Sections 275(1), 276 and 277 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“These Shari’ah panels are not new as that of Lagos State was established as far back as 2003 (22 years ago). A panel is a committee, not a court and there is no law in Nigeria which criminalises the setting up of a committee to settle rifts between Muslim families and distribute inheritance left by deceased Muslims.

“Whoever claims that there is no Shari’ah in the Constitution or that Shari’ah panels do not exist in Yorubaland is either exhibiting certificated ignorance or living in nafdac-registered self-delusion. Even some state customary, magistrate and high courts in the region consult these Shari’ah panels when they come across highly technical Islamic matters.

“Meanwhile the ongoing opposition to the operation of Shari’ah panels in the area provides strong evidence that there is no religious tolerance in the South-West. It also points to the fact that Muslims in the region are facing religious persecution, social strangulation and forceful assimilation into other faiths.

“With all the brouhaha being raised by the irredentist Yoruba nation groups on the issue of Shari’ah in the South-West, it is very clear to all and sundry that there is no religious tolerance in the zone. The myth of peaceful coexistence in Yorubaland has now been shattered by the threats and hullabaloo emanating from Yoruba nation groups in the region.

“The Shari’ah imbroglio in the South-West further calls to question the good intention of the so-called champions of democracy and human rights groups in the region particularly the conspiracy of silence over the Shari’ah saga.

“We are tempted to ask, ‘Why are the human rights groups silent? Where are the human rights lawyers? Why are they always on sabbatical each time Muslims are denied their Allah-given fundamental human rights?

“Why do they suddenly become vocal whenever issues affect Christians? Are human rights for Christians alone? Are Muslims not homo sapiens compos mentis? Is Yorubaland back in George Orwell’s Animal Farm where all animals are equal but some are more equal than others? Is the region’s mantra now ‘All Yorubas are equal except the Muslims’?

“This is exactly what MURIC is resisting and we will not stop until all forms oppression, repression and downpression of Muslims stop. If it is true that Nigeria is practising democracy, then that democracy must be all-embracing. There must be inclusivity and tolerance of all groups.

“By extension, if it is true that Christian common law is used in the magistrate court, the high court and the Supreme Court, and it is; if it is true that tradition and culture is the norm in the customary courts, and it is; the large Yoruba Muslim population deserves a court suitable for its own faith. Anything to the contrary is fake democracy, lack of accommodation, outright intolerance and desertification of inclusiveness.

“For instance, the civil Shari’ah being practiced in the Shari’ah panels or any civil Shariah court in future should have been tolerated if indeed true democracy is being practiced in the South-West. But what we find in the South-West is economic marginalization, political ostracization and religious discrimination against Yoruba Muslims.

“MURIC finds it curious that Yoruba nation groups are still demanding separation from Nigeria despite the fact that the current president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a bona fide Yoruba man, born, buttered and marmaladed in the city of Lagos. The same groups have been opposing the Shari’ah panel and spreading false information about Shari’ah. We wonder what exactly they want.

“For the umpteenth time and for the purpose of clarification, Yoruba Muslims are not demanding full implementation of Shari’ah. They are only asking for civil Shari’ah for the settlement of their family disputes. It is only for Muslims. No Christian can ever be taken to a Shari’ah court or even a Shari’ah panel.

“A lot of disinformation has transpired. Fanatical Christians and Yoruba nation activists have engaged in demarketing Shari’ah. They told Nigerians that we want to establish full criminal aspect of Shari’ah in the South-West. They told them that the arms of thieves would be cut off. They said Christians would be dragged to the Shari’ah courts.

“All these are lies from the pit of Jahannam. They are merely giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it. Most of the lies are targeted at the elimination of Islam in Yorubaland. What we are asking for is civil Shariah only. It does not involve cutting of hands and Christians are not involved.

“In fact no single Christian has been taken to any Shari’ah panel since the panels have been sitting since 2002 at Oja Oba Central Mosque, Ibadan, Oyo State; since 2003 at Abesan Estate Central Mosque, Lagos; since 2018 at the Egba Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta, Ogun State; since 2005 at the Osun State Muslim Community Secretariat, Ring Road, Oshogbo, Osun State, etc.

“Our Shari’ah panels are mere arbitration committees. They have no force of law. They are not courts. Stop misleading the Yoruba people and stop inciting them against their Muslim neighbours. This admonition is for those who are ready to listen and those who love the truth.

“We are aware that those who oppose this civil Shari’ah in the South-West have been telling the security agencies that Muslims in the region plan to force Shariah on the Yoruba people. It is a lie. There is no such thing. The security agencies cannot be hoodwinked.

“The security agencies know the oppressors and they know those who are being persecuted for their faith in the South-West. There is no iota of doubt that Muslims in the region are facing religious persecution, social strangulation and forceful assimilation into other faiths. The lies must stop. Set Yoruba Muslims free”.

Vanguard