JNI defends establishment of shari’a panels, cites constitutional backing

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has asserted that Muslims seeking adjudication on personal and civil matters under Islamic law is a constitutional right, not a privilege.
The JNI’s statement follows public controversy over the establishment of Shari’a arbitration panels in some parts of south-west Nigeria.
Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, the JNI Secretary General, in a statement issued in Kaduna, condemned the opposition to the panels, describing it as undue resistance, inflammatory rhetoric, and outright distortion of facts.
He emphasized that the right to Shari’a adjudication is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees religious freedoms for all citizens.
“Specifically, sections 38 and 275-279 provide for the establishment and operation of Shari’a courts for civil matters where applicable,” Aliyu noted.
The JNI clarified that the panels do not infringe on the rights of non-Muslims but merely offer a voluntary alternative dispute resolution mechanism for Muslims who choose to settle personal matters, such as marriage, inheritance, and family disputes, according to Islamic law.
“For the discerning mind, Islam has very interesting and enriching inheritance codes that have remained inalienable to Muslims’ lives. It is, therefore, mischievous and deceptive to suggest that these panels aim to ‘impose’ Shari’a on non-Muslims,” Aliyu stated.
He stressed that the panels only handle cases where both parties consent, drawing parallels with similar practices in other pluralistic societies worldwide.
Professor Aliyu also highlighted the historical presence of Shari’a adjudication in the South West.
He recalled that Yoruba Muslims had long resolved civil disputes through Islamic mechanisms, even before colonial rule, and that Native Courts under British rule recognized Shari’a-based adjudication in predominantly Muslim communities.
The JNI urged those leading the campaign of misinformation to desist from their divisive agenda and stop instilling fear in the populace.
JNI defends establishment of shari’a panels, cites constitutional backing