Godsent Ogbebor
The Ogun State government has issued a strong warning against any attempt to establish a Sharia Court within the state. In a statement signed by Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, the government clarified that Sharia Courts cannot be legally set up by individuals or groups without the proper legal framework.
The warning follows the circulation of a digital notice announcing the launch of a Sharia Court in the state. The Ogun State government emphasized that it only recognizes courts established under the Nigerian Constitution and state laws. Sharia Courts are not part of the legal system operating in Ogun State.
The statement read: “No Sharia Court is authorized to operate within Ogun State. The courts that are legally empowered to adjudicate disputes arising within Ogun State are those established by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or by State Laws, which are: Magistrates’ Courts, High Court, Customary Courts, Customary Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.”
The government further clarified that Sharia law does not form part of Ogun’s legal framework, and the state respects individuals’ rights to practice their religion privately. However, it stressed that this freedom does not extend to the formation of unauthorized institutions or courts.
Governor Abiodun’s statement concluded by directing those behind the unauthorized Sharia Court to immediately cease all activities and disband the court and its apparatus, emphasizing that no group or individual has the legal backing to set up a court or administer justice in such a manner.
