The Oyo State chapter of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah clarified that its January 2025 event is for inaugurating an arbitration panel, not a Sharia court. The misunderstanding led to public backlash, causing the postponement. The panel aims to settle family disputes among Muslims in the region.
The Oyo State chapter of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah has clarified that its upcoming event in January is not the inauguration of a Sharia court, as previously misunderstood. A flier circulating widely on Tuesday had guests to a ceremony for the "inauguration of Shari'a court in Oyo town and its environs" scheduled for January 11, 2025. However, following public backlash, the event was suspended.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Bello Adisa, chairman of the Sharia committee of Oyo Land, explained that the event is intended to inaugurate an "arbitration panel," not a court. The panel, already existing in parts of southwestern Nigeria, is designed to handle family disputes among Muslims. It has no enforcement powers and is not a formal court. Adisa added that the miscommunication led to the postponement of the event, which will be rescheduled for a later date.
