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Gani Adams fumes as Sultan backs Sharia courts in S’West
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The Sultan of Sokoto-led Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has thrown its weight behind the push to establish Sharia courts in South-West states.
In a statement on Wednesday titled, “Live and Let Live!” signed by its Deputy National Legal Adviser, Haroun Muhammed, the NSCIA decried what it described as the “high spate of intolerance and disregard for the rights of Muslims, especially in the Southern part of the country.”
The council argued that contrary to the assertion of South-West governors, Sharia courts are backed by the Nigerian Constitution.
The intervention by the NSCIA comes on the back of festering controversies over the creation of Sharia courts or panels in South-West State.
On Tuesday, the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, issued a stern statement rejecting the formation of a Sharia Court in his state.
Abiodun said Sharia courts are not recognised in Ogun State’s legal framework and Nigeria’s constitution and warned the brains behind the Sharia court to halt the formation.
Abiodun’s statement came about a week after his counterpart in Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, kicked against the establishment of a Sharia panel in Ekiti.
Earlier in December last year, an announcement by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria to inaugurate a Sharia court in the Oyo town of Oyo State generated controversy, leading to its indefinite suspension.
Addressing the issue, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, said, “About the establishment of Sharia court in Oyo town, people may try, but for us, I swore to uphold our laws and the Constitution of Nigeria.”
However, the Sultan-led NSCIA, on Wednesday, called on governors and traditional rulers in the South-West to protect and preserve the constitutional rights of Muslims in their respective domains.
The NSCIA described as “unnecessary and unwarranted” the resistance to the establishment of Shariah panel in the South-West, noting that the Sharia Arbitration Panel was a voluntary platform designed solely for the resolution of civil and marital disputes among consenting Muslims.
Muhammed said, “The NSCIA strongly supports the establishment of Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti and Oyo States for the purpose so intended, especially where the Muslims in the states have been denied their constitutional right to a Shariah Court of Appeal in all the states of southwestern Nigeria.
“The council cannot find any legal justification for the unnecessary alarm and unwarranted resistance. All the states in the North have Shariah Courts and some, in addition, have Customary Courts.
“The most recent of this is the development emanating from Ekiti state where the effort of the Muslim community to set up an Independent Shariah (Arbitration) Panel was met with unwarranted resistance and objections from both political and traditional quarters.
“This is coming barely a few weeks after the announcement of the inauguration of a Shariah panel in Oyo State generated unnecessary anxiety thereby leading to its indefinite postponement.
“This and other cases, such as the denial of the rights of female students to wear the Hijab despite a Supreme Court judgment, are nothing but calculated attempts to prevent Muslims in the region from practising their faith.”
The council maintained that the setting up of the panel was legitimate, mentioning that the Arbitration and the Shariah Court of Appeal, just like the Customary Court of Appeal (which all of them have) are provided for in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (see section 275), “confirming the legality of both initiatives. “
“The Independent Arbitration Panel, which is a voluntary platform designed solely for the resolution of civil and marital disputes among consenting Muslims was to fill the inexplicable vacuum created by the failure of the political elite in South-Western Nigeria to establish Shariah Courts, as allowed by the Nigerian Constitution, in South-Western States, despite the huge population of Muslims in the region,” the statement further read.
The NSCIA advised against acts of intolerance for Muslims in the South-West, such as the opposition to the inauguration of a Sharia panel in Oyo and Ekiti States, and the denial of the rights of female students to wear the Hijab despite a Supreme Court judgment.
“The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs under the
leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, is particularly disturbed about the high spate of intolerance and disregard for the rights of Muslims, especially in the southern part of the country.
“The council calls on the governors and traditional authorities in the southern part of the country, particularly the South-West, to ensure that the constitutional rights of Muslims in their respective domains are preserved and protected. While others are allowed to live, Muslims should also be let live,” the statement read.
‘Sharia Court not new in Ogun’
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Sharia Arbitration Committee in Ogun State, Mallam Yusuf Oloyede, has clarified that the panel was inaugurated in 2018 and had been sitting at the Egba Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta, to handle disputes among Muslims.
Oloyede made this disclosure in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, following public reactions to a flier circulating on social media announcing the inauguration of the committee.
According to him, the flier created a false impression that the panel was newly established, whereas it had been operating for over six years.
Oloyede emphasised that the committee does not function as a court but serves as an arbitration panel for Muslims who voluntarily seek resolution of their disputes in line with Qur’anic and Hadith principles.
“What we have is not a court per se but an arbitration committee that has been in existence since 2018. It is for arbitration of issues for Muslims who want such issues heard and resolved according to the Quran and Hadith,” he stated.
He further explained that the panel comprises jurists drawn from different regions of the state, including Yewa, Ijebu, Egba, and Remo, and holds its sittings at Egba Central Mosque.
On whether the committee would discontinue its sessions or review its operations following the Ogun State Government’s recent warning, Oloyede said the matter would be deliberated upon internally.
“We wouldn’t know how the state government’s statement is applicable to us because we are not running a court but an arbitration committee,” he said.
He added that the panel would meet soon to discuss the latest developments and determine the next course of action.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing the Ebola virus disease (EVD) due to ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Despite the absence of any confirmed case in the country, the agency said heightened regional transmission, increased international travel, and cross-border population movement have raised concerns over the possibility of the disease spreading into Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said the agency’s latest risk assessment classified the threat level as high.
“This assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever,” the statement read.
The agency disclosed that several states have already been identified as vulnerable because of their proximity to land borders, major transport corridors, and international entry points.
According to the NCDC, response efforts are currently ongoing in the affected countries, including surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control measures, as well as public sensitisation campaigns.
“However, we are aware of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and recent reports of a confirmed imported case in Uganda linked to the outbreak in DRC,” the agency stated.
As part of preparedness measures, the NCDC said Nigeria’s national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been placed on alert mode, while the incident management system has also been activated to strengthen national coordination and outbreak response capacity.
The agency added that Nigeria still retains critical structures and expertise developed from previous responses to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic diseases.
“It also must be noted that Nigeria maintains important response capacities, including laboratory capability, trained rapid response teams, functional emergency operations centres (EOCs), established Viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures, and prior experience in successfully responding to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks,” the statement added.
“Epidemiologists and rapid response teams (RRTs) are also on alert for rapid deployment to any affected state, if required.”
The NCDC further said laboratories located in states with international points of entry have been placed on standby, while sample collection and transportation systems are being strengthened to support quick diagnosis of suspected infections.
The agency also said it has intensified public communication campaigns to combat misinformation and false claims surrounding Ebola.
“NCDC is strengthening public awareness and risk communication activities, intensifying social listening and rumour management systems, and working with media organizations, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and digital platforms to amplify credible information and promote responsible public discourse,” the statement said.
“NCDC has also developed and disseminated Ebola Myths and Facts materials to address misinformation and false claims circulating online.”
The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28, 2026, as public holidays to mark Eid-el-Kabir.
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the holidays on Monday in a statement signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Magdalene Ajani.
Tunji-Ojo congratulated Muslims in Nigeria and abroad, calling Eid-ul-Adha a festival of sacrifice, obedience to God, and compassion. He urged Nigerians to use the period for prayer and reflection on peace, security, and national prosperity.
“The Federal Government urges all Nigerians to use this period for prayer and sober reflection, asking for divine see guidance as it continues its pursuit of peace, security, and prosperity for every citizen,” the statement read.
World oil prices tumbled on renewed optimism about an agreement, after top US diplomat Marco Rubio suggested a deal could be reached within the day.
Iran warned Monday that, while some progress had been made, it was not yet close to striking a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war, after a weekend of mixed messages from Washington and Tehran.
World oil prices tumbled on renewed optimism about an agreement, after top US diplomat Marco Rubio suggested a deal could be reached within the day — but Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman responded: “No one can make such a claim.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — whose government is spearheading efforts to mediate a negotiated agreement between the United States and Iran — met China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
US and Iranian forces have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while diplomats push for a negotiated settlement, although Iran has maintained controls on Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the US Navy has sought to blockade Iran’s ports.
“We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today,” US Secretary of State Rubio told reporters during a visit to New Delhi, referring to hopes for a deal.
“We have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open,” he said.
“We’re either going to have a good agreement or we’re going to have to deal with it another way. We’d prefer to have a good agreement,” he said.
But in Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei poured cold water on hopes for a quick final settlement.
‘Certain fees’
“It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion,” he told a weekly news briefing.
“But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent — no one can make such a claim.”
Baqaei stressed that Iran would continue to manage maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by charging service fees — arguing that this did not amount to Tehran “seeking to collect tolls”.
“The services that are provided — navigational services in addition to the measures necessary to protect the environment of the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman — require the collection of certain fees,” he said.
Earlier, President Donald Trump had said that he had told his negotiators “not to rush into a deal, in that time is on our side”, and warned that the US naval blockade would remain in place until a deal was reached.
A post on Trump’s Truth Social read: “If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one,” adding that: “It isn’t even fully negotiated yet.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he and Trump had agreed that “any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear threat entirely.”
‘Lasting peace’
Iranian officials have stressed that, despite the long-standing US demand for an end to its uranium enrichment, talks on the issue of Iran’s contested nuclear programme have been deferred until after an initial agreement.
The war, which erupted after the United States and Israel attacked the Islamic republic on February 28 and saw Iran respond with missile and drone attacks across the region, drove energy prices higher.
Crude oil remains expensive by recent standards, but prices have see-sawed and Monday’s mood of relative optimism caused prices to plunge by almost five percent.
The price of North Sea Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate slipped to $99.00 and $92.10 a barrel respectively.
On Saturday, leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, as well as representatives from Turkey and Pakistan, joined a call with Trump to discuss the deal.
The focus of international efforts moved to Beijing on Monday, where Pakistan’s Sharif and army chief Asim Munir, who visited Tehran on Saturday, met senior leaders including Xi and Premier Li Qiang.
Speaking to Chinese leaders, Sharif said “the world is passing through a critical moment”, Pakistan’s state-run PTV channel showed.
“Things are moving in the right direction. I would like to thank China’s support to promote peace.”
AFP
Warning! Nigeria faces high Ebola importation risk amid DRC, Uganda outbreaks — NCDC
FG declares May 27-28 Public holiday to markEid-el-Kabir
Iran Warns Deal With US Not Yet Close, Despite Minimal Progress
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