Gov Abiodun Issues Stern Warning: ‘Cease Sharia Court Activities Immediately

A flier announcing the launch of a Sharia court had been circulating within the state, stating that the Sharia Arbitration Committee had successfully established a court that Ogun State Muslims had long desired.

However, in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, Governor Abiodun emphasized that Ogun State’s legal framework does not recognize a Sharia Court. He clarified that only courts authorized by the Nigerian constitution are permitted to operate in the state.

“The Ogun State Government has noted the circulation of a digital notice announcing the launch of a Shari’ah Court in Ogun State,” he said. “No Sharia Court is authorized to operate within Ogun State. The only courts empowered to adjudicate disputes in the state are those established by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or by state laws, including Magistrates’ Courts, High Court, Customary Courts, Customary Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.”

Abiodun further stated, “No law in Ogun State has established a Sharia Court, and Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework under which the Ogun State Government governs.”

He reaffirmed that while the government respects individuals’ rights to practice their religion, it does not extend to the creation of unauthorized institutions. “No individual or group is legally allowed to establish a court or present themselves as a court without legal authority,” he added.