Sharia Panels in South-West Will Foster Sustainable Peace – Oloyede

Oloyede advocates for the establishment of Sharia panels in South-West Nigeria, stating they will contribute to lasting peace and conflict resolution.

Prof Is-haq Oloyede, the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has called on leaders in the South-West geopolitical zone to advocate for setting up Sharia panels across all six states within the region.

He believes that setting up Sharia panels, which are committees made up of Islamic scholars focused on resolving marriage and inheritance disputes, will promote lasting peace in the region.

Oloyede, currently serving as the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), appeared as a guest on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande. This socio-political program was broadcast during its Sunday edition on Channels Television.

He stated that Nigerian leaders need to reconsider their stance. To achieve sustainable peace, allowing Muslims in the South-West to have Sharia courts could be beneficial.

Recently, the proposed creation of Sharia panels in South-Western states such as Ogun and Oyo has stirred unrest within the region. Traditional institutions and the Christian community have opposed this initiative, with state governments in both Ogun and Oyo rejecting it outright. Nonetheless, despite these objections, Nigeria’s Muslim community and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar of Sokoto, continue to emphasize their significance as an alternative dispute resolution method for Muslims.

Oloyede expressed his confidence in Nigeria’s greatness and its potential to remain so, although he emphasized the need for significant re-evaluation. He remarked on recent discussions about Sharia Panels in the South-West, stating that they amused him because of their display of ignorance. He pointed out that a PhD thesis was written on the existence of a Sharia Panel in Oyo State back in 2007, indicating it had been around before then. The author of this appraisal is now Prof Makinde at Ibadan University; interestingly enough, shares a last name with the current governor – though Oloyede wasn’t sure if they’re related.

The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin described the issue as trivial and cautioned against creating unnecessary tension around it, particularly in the South-West where Muslims, Christians, and traditional institutions have coexisted peacefully for many years.

However, he mentioned that the Muslims in the South-West are psychologically paying for the harmony experienced in this region.

Oloyede expressed that without ongoing monitoring of religious tolerance, one risks being stuck in the past. As a Muslim from the South-West, he mentioned that Muslims in this region bear psychological costs for maintaining peace and harmony.

Churches are authorized by the government to perform statutory marriages, and in case of any marital disputes, you can seek resolution through government-funded high courts.

“If there’s a dispute in my marriage, I face challenges. Since my marriage followed Islamic rites, I’m required to approach a customary court where the judge might lack knowledge about Islam and the laws governing our marital union. The resolution would be based on customary law rather than Islamic principles. Although Nigeria’s Constitution permits Sharia Courts of Appeal if approved by a state’s assembly, such an option is often unavailable.”

There have been Sharia Courts of Appeal established in various regions across the country, mainly in northern Nigeria. When we claim there is harmony, it often means someone may be suffering quietly. However, when that person voices their concerns, they are met with responses like: “Why are you creating a fuss?”

He criticized those who were condemning the Sultan of Sokoto for expressing his views, emphasizing that Muslims in Nigeria follow the same Islam. “I believe we should learn to tolerate one another,” he stated.