Outrage as Islamic Group Announces Plan to Introduce Sharia Court in Oyo: “To Divide Yorubaland”
- The move by the Oyo Islamic group to establish a Sharia court in the state has been greeted with mixed reactions and has sparked a fresh debate
- Some Nigerians on the social media page X supported the development, while others criticised the move and described it as an attempt to divide the "united Yorubaland"
- As seen from the flier of the ceremony that is making the rounds online, prominent figures will grace the inauguration ceremony of the Sharia court in January 2025
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Ibadan, Oyo state - The Oyo state chapter of the Islamic group under the aegis of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria has announced that a Sharia court will be established in the state and its environs in January 2025.
Source: Getty Images
Group set to unveil Sharia court in Oyo
The group revealed this on Tuesday, December 24, in a flier that went viral.
As reported by The Punch, the court’s inauguration ceremony will be held on January 11, 2025, at the Muslim Community Islamic Centre, Oba Adeyemi High School Road, Mobolaje Area, Oyo state.
The flier noted that the event will be graced by prominent figures, including Bashorun of Oyo Land, High Chief Yusuf Akinade Olayinka 1 as the Royal Father of the Day, Mufairu of Oyo Land, Alhaji Abdullateef Eleyele as the Spiritual Father, and Aare Musulumi of Oyo Land, Alhaji Tajudeen Kamorise as the Chief Host.
An X user, @onwe_tc, who posted the flier of the ceremony on his X page, tweeted:
"A Supreme Sharia Council has been established in Oyo State. By the time APC is done with Nigeria, the whole of Yorubaland will become a Caliphate Territory like Kwara."
Sharia court in Oyo: Nigerians react
Meanwhile, mixed reactions have trailed the flier of the inauguration ceremony of the Sharia court in Oyo.
While many disapproved of the move, others argued that the southwest, populated by Yoruba people, is not in any way north where Muslims are more dominant.
Legit.ng compiled a few reactions from the comment section on X below:
@Roodie77 tweeted:
"We strongly reject any attempt to further this divide in yorubaland ,we say no to shariah courts or laws ,if you needs shariah courts Nigeria is still one board a bus to the north."
@LanreRidwan92 tweeted:
"Nobody is forcing Shariah law on anyone, the Sharia law is strictly for Muslims. If the Yoruba Muslims, who constitute the majority population of Oyo state, say they want it, nothing will stop it."
One X user who identified with the name #OurFavOnlineDoc said:
“To whom it may concern, Please read this post and listen well. If sharia law gets implemented in your state, Let me tell you ahead what will happen.
“You can be randomly arrested and imprisoned for ‘indecent dressing’. EVEN IF you are not a Muslim, EVEN if you are a Christian, EVEN IF you are a traditionalist, EVEN IF you don’t subscribe to Sharia, and EVEN if you are an atheist.
“During Ramadan, you can be arrested for selling food. Even if you are not a Muslim. As long as they can claim you were selling it to Muslims. I am NOT telling you what they may do. I am telling you what they have ALREADY done.”
@ayemojubar tweeted:
"Unnoticed by many, they established the Oyo Chapter of Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria. Now, they are boldly planning the inauguration of a Sharia Court in Oyo Town and across Yorubaland.
"I expect all individuals named on this poster to have received a police summons."
@onomamien tweeted:
"Always looking to instigate violence when they are not in power. It's left for Makinde to allow it to stand or otherwise."
@Oluwati29583335 tweeted:
"Southwest is moving forward with the step."
@wireingwireing tweeted:
"Omo so when oyo people were voting MU-MU ticket. they dont know the meaning. Won ti rin nkan kan."
@Omeokachie2 tweeted:
"Tinubu's Muslim-Muslim ticket bearing fruit."
Meanwhile, the chairman and secretary of the Sharia committee in Oyo land, Dr Rafiu Bello and Sulaimon Abuqoodi, are yet to react to the development.
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Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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