The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Federal Government to ensure equal representation of Shari’ah law in Nigeria’s judicial system by establishing Shari’ah Federal Courts across all states of the federation.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the current judicial framework in Nigeria is lopsided and discriminatory against Muslims, particularly those living in southern states where no Shari’ah courts exist.
Professor Akintola argued that while federal and state high courts based on common law exist in all states of the country, Shari’ah courts are only operational in the North, effectively denying millions of southern Muslims access to a justice system that aligns with their faith.
“The judicial system in Nigeria is currently skewed. Common law courts, which originated from Christian traditions, are accepted and funded nationwide, including in the North. However, Shari’ah courts are conspicuously absent in the South, despite persistent demands by Muslims in the region,” Akintola said.
He described the situation as “judicial apartheid,” claiming it marginalizes Muslims and denies them full participation in the country’s legal system. He also criticized the interpretation of the constitutional provision for establishing Shari’ah courts only in states that “desire” them, accusing southern governors of deliberately ignoring this clause to suppress Islamic legal institutions.
“Southern governors interpret the Constitution to mean ‘where the governor desires it’ rather than ‘where Muslims desire it.’ This is unfair. Muslims in the South pay taxes, yet only Christian common law courts are funded and functional with these public resources,” Akintola stated.
He added that just as the Federal Government established federal high courts in all states regardless of the presence of state high courts, it should similarly create federal Shari’ah courts to guarantee justice and inclusiveness.
“What happens if Northern Muslims start insisting on similar treatment? What if they withdraw their support for Christian common law courts in the North? These are uncomfortable but legitimate questions that may arise,” he warned.
MURIC emphasized that Nigeria’s constitution recognizes a tripartite judicial system—common law, customary law, and Shari’ah—and argued that all three should be given equal implementation across the country.
The group concluded by calling on the Federal Government to establish Shari’ah Federal Courts in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, saying that doing so would promote fairness, equity, and national cohesion.
“Only thus can Shari’ah be fully integrated into the country’s judicial system, only thus can justice be strongly entrenched, and justice is the soul of peace,” Akintola said.
