The Yoruba Regional Alliance (YRA) worldwide, in partnership with various Yoruba self-determination organizations, staged a massive protest against the inauguration of the Independent Shari’ah Arbitration Panel in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State.
The protest, which took place last Tuesday, saw a large crowd of demonstrators converge along the bustling Adebayo area of the city. The protesters, visibly agitated, carried placards with bold inscriptions rejecting the panel’s establishment in the state. They chanted solidarity songs, expressing their disapproval and voicing concerns over what they described as an imposition that contradicts the secular nature of the state.
According to the YRA, the introduction of the Shari’ah Arbitration Panel is not only unnecessary but also poses a potential threat to the cultural and legal autonomy of the Yoruba people. One of the protest leaders stated, “Ekiti is a Yoruba land with its own rich traditions and legal systems. We do not need any parallel legal structure that does not reflect our values and way of life.”
The demonstrators argued that the move to establish such a panel could create division and undermine the state’s legal framework. They emphasized that Nigeria operates a constitution that upholds secularism and equality before the law, regardless of religious affiliations.
Another protester passionately remarked, “We are not against any religion, but we are saying no to the introduction of a system that could cause legal confusion and disrupt the peace we enjoy in Ekiti.”
The protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations until their demands are met, insisting that the Shari’ah Arbitration Panel has no place in Ekiti State.
Meanwhile, Ekiti State Government has denied claims of a Sharia Court or proposed Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in the State and reaffirmed the commitment to peaceful coexistence among residents.
Dayo Apata SAN, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice made this known in a statement in Ado-Ekiti.
He clarified that the State Judicial structure does not include a Sharia Court or a similar Arbitration Panel.
Apata clarified that issues of arbitration and mediation were quasi-judicial matters regulated by law and adequately handled by existing legal institutions in the State.
According to him, “There is no Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in the judicial structure of the State and that arbitration or mediation issues are qukJasi-judicial matters regulated by law in the state.”
He also noted that the State has legal structures including Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal, High Court which handle cases relating to Islamic, Christian and traditional marriages and inheritance disputes.
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