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Sharia Court Not Authorised to Operate Within Ogun State, Gov Abiodun Warns

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Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has vehemently opposed the establishment of Sharia Court in the State, declaring it unauthorized and illegal.

He, therefore, directed the individuals behind its creation to immediately cease operations and disband all related activities.

The governor’s response followed the circulation of a flyer announcing the launch of a Sharia Court in Ogun State by the Sharia Arbitration Committee.

The flyer stated: “Alhamdulillah, it’s eventually established in Ogun State. A Sharia Court, which Ogun State Muslims have been yearning for, for ages, is finally here.”

It further invited litigants, stating: “You can now seek redress or have your case adjudicated based on Qur’an and Sunnah by reputable Islamic jurists. The Shari’ah Court, under the able leadership of eminent, reputable and erudite Islamic scholars like Shaykh Dr. Khidri Mustafa – Grand Qadi, Shaykh Abdu-r-Rasheed Mayeleke, Dr. Musa Afis, and a host of competent Islamic jurists, is open to all Muslims, male and female.”

It also listed the types of cases the court would handle, including marital disputes, Imamship tussles, organizational conflicts, child custody and guardianship, and inheritance matters.

Reacting to this development, Governor Abiodun issued a personally signed statement, making it clear that the legal framework of Ogun State does not recognize Sharia Court.

“No Sharia Court is authorised 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 governor emphasized that Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework of Ogun State and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.

“No law operating in Ogun State has established a Sharia Court, and Sharia law does not form part of the legal framework by which the Ogun State Government administers and governs society,” he declared.

While recognizing the freedom of individuals to practice their religion, the governor stressed that this does not extend to creating unauthorized courts.

“No individual or group is legally permitted to constitute a court or present themselves to the public as a court without legal backing,” he warned.

Governor Abiodun then ordered the immediate cessation of all activities related to the illegal Sharia Court, stating:

“The Ogun State Government, hereby, directs that all persons involved in the creation or operation of this unauthorised court must immediately cease all related activities and disband the illegal entity and all its apparatus.”

He further warned the public against engaging with the court, urging them to report any related activities to the authorities.

“The Ogun State Government also advises members of the public to disregard any summons, documents, or persons associated with the illegal Sharia Court. Such occurrences should be promptly reported to the State.”

The controversy surrounding the establishment of Sharia Courts in the Southwest has been growing. Just last week, the Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji, similarly rejected the creation of a Sharia Court in his state, calling it illegal.

In December last year, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria announced plans to inaugurate a Sharia Court in Oyo town, Oyo State. However, following public outcry, the council postponed the inauguration indefinitely.

Commenting on the issue, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said Sharia Courts would only be permitted if they align with the Nigerian Constitution.

“People may try, but for us, I swore to uphold our laws and the Constitution of Nigeria. If their actions are within the law, fine. If not, they should expect that I will insist the law must be followed,” Makinde stated.

On Monday, Afenifere and CAN publicly rejected the idea, while the International Council for Ifa Religion also voiced its disapproval.

The council’s President, Fayemi Fatunde, warned that the introduction of Sharia law in the Southwest could have hidden motives.

“We have witnessed the consequences of Sharia law in the northern parts of Nigeria. The introduction of Sharia law to the South-West has a hidden agenda of Islamisation, contrary to the narrative being presented,” Fatunde argued.

As the debate over Sharia Courts in the South West continues, the Ogun State Government has made its stance clear—only courts recognized by the Nigerian Constitution will be permitted in the state. With similar resistance in Ekiti, Oyo, and other states, the issue remains a subject of intense national debate.

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Decomposing Body of Kidnapped Anambra Lawmaker Found on 2nd Niger Bridge

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The decomposing body of a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Justice Azuka, has been discovered on the 2nd Niger Bridge.

Azuka’s body was discovered by a combined team of security agencies.

The lawmaker representing Onitsha North Constituency 1 was kidnapped on December 24, 2024, along Ugwunabankpa Road, Inland Town, Onitsha.

After weeks of investigation, security operatives from Abuja apprehended the suspects late Wednesday. The arrested individuals later led authorities to the location where they had dumped the lawmaker’s remains.

Police authorities in Anambra State said details of the incident are sketchy.

However, the spokesman of the command, Tochukwu Ikenga, said police operatives have been deployed to the scene.

According to him, further details would be made known to the public in due time.

The incident marks the second kidnapping and murder of a sitting Anambra lawmaker in recent years.

In 2022, Okey Okoye, popularly known as “Okey Di Ok” from Aguata, was abducted and beheaded.

His body was later found around the Nnobi axis of the South-East state. The region has experienced a slew of violence in recent years. Gunmen have at various times attacked public facilities and killed scores of persons despite repeated assurances from government and security agencies.

The calls for secession have also reached new highs in the region in recent years. But no group has claimed responsibility for the wave of violence in the South-East.

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EFCC Boss Knocks Nigerians for Celebrating Corrupt Leaders

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Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has argued that Nigeria’s under-development would be a thing of the past if everyone begins to see corruption as a common enemy and tackle it.

He stated this on Friday when officials of the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) led by the Director of its Board of Trustees (BoT), Major General Chris Olukolade (rtd) paid him a courtesy visit at the EFCC corporate headquarters, Abuja.

He said: “One of the major problems in Nigeria which when tackled, will make under-development a thing of the past, is corruption and financial crimes. A society that is ready to move forward is a responsibility not only of the government, but of the citizens. This is what has actually led some of us to be very committed to this cause.

“We are ready to go the whole hog to do what we need to do within the confines and provisions of the law and the power that the Constitution has conferred on us. If everybody makes up his or her mind to do the right thing, we’ll move forward in this country.”

Olukoyede, who expressed delight at the proposal of the CCC delegation for collaboration and synergy in the areas of strategic communication and public engagement, re-emphasized that the work and successes of the EFCC run on the wheels of public engagement and advocacy.

“We thank you for proposing a synergy and collaboration with us to support the work we do. One of the strong pillars of our mandate is the issue of public engagement and public advocacy. We will partner with you in that respect. We have so many projects and programmes with respect to letting the public know what we’re doing and we are doing everything possible to ensure that we create awareness on the part of Nigerians with respect to the need for us to be careful and play by the rules.

“However, it is so unfortunate that the same people who approbate also reprobate at the same time. Everybody is crying that Nigerians are corrupt, that the system is corrupt; that corruption is killing us and destroying our system, but when we investigate high profile cases and arraign people in court, the same people will carry placards and be supporting corrupt leaders.

“It doesn’t show that we are serious about this fight. The fight is supposed to be a collaborative effort. No single agency can do it alone. It is practically impossible for us as EFCC to fight all the battles. The society has a role to play; policy has a role to play and the issue of welfare of the citizens has a role to play,” he said.

Speaking on the trajectory of his leadership, he disclosed that he has prioritized prevention over enforcement since coming on board.

“Now we are laying more emphasis on prevention which is a critical aspect of our mandate. We don’t have to always be waiting for money to be stolen before we start working in EFCC. To drive prevention, I established a new directorate called Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC and now we are doing more of blocking of the leakages. We have access to GIFMIS (government payment platform). We want to track and see where every money released is going.

“We want to ensure that every capital project is executed. With prevention, we discovered that there will be less to enforce. We are not dropping our mandate on enforcement. As a matter of fact, we are scaling it up. But we believe that it is important for us to prevent because it costs less to prevent than to react when the deed must have been done. So that is one of our areas of focus as of now.”

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Gunmen Abduct Abia Electoral Commission Chairman

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The Chairman of Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ASIEC), Professor George Chima, has been abducted by gunmen.

A family source said Chima was abducted on Friday from his Okigwe residence in Imo State while hosting some lecturers from Abia State University, Uturu.

Spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident, adding that the police are on the trail of the hoodlums with the aim of rescuing the victim.

He said “Yes, we are aware of the kidnap of the Prof and we have commenced investigations.

“As I speak to you now, the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, personally led the team of police operatives to Okigwe.

“The police are assuring all that we will catch the kidnappers,” Okoye said.

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