THE CABLE
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has expressed concern over what it describes as growing disregard for the rights of Muslims, particularly in the southern part of the country.
The council, led by Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, condemned the opposition to the establishment of independent Shariah arbitration panels in Ekiti state and Oyo state.
A statement issued on Wednesday by Haroun Muhammad Eze, NSCIA’s deputy national legal adviser, said the resistance is “unwarranted” and “unnecessary”.
The council said the arbitration panel was conceived to fill the vacuum of Shariah courts of appeal in states where they have not been established “despite constitutional provisions allowing them”.
It claimed that the rejection of the arbitration panels shows a broader pattern of discrimination against Muslims in the region.
Citing Section 275 of the 1999 constitution, the NSCIA said the legality of the arbitration panels cannot be questioned.
The section provides for the establishment of Shariah courts of appeal “in any state that requires it”.
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