The announcement of a Sharia Court inauguration in Oyo State, Nigeria, has sparked a wave of diverse reactions on social media. The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, Oyo State chapter, is set to unveil the court in Oyo town on January 11, 2025.
According to a flyer circulating on X (formerly Twitter), the event will take place at the Muslim Community Islamic Centre, along Oba Adeyemi High School Road in the Mobolaje area of Oyo. The ceremony is expected to feature prominent figures, including the Bashorun of Oyo land, High Chief Yusuf Akinade Olayinka 1, as the royal father of the day, and Alhaji Abdul Lateef Abdulaazeez Eleyele, the Mufasir of Oyo land, as the spiritual father. The chief host will be Alhaji Tajudeen Abdul-Hammed Kamorise, the Aare Musulumi of Oyo land.
The announcement has divided opinions online. Some users have expressed support, emphasizing the right of Muslims in the South West to establish a Sharia Court. A user, @Waspapping, tweeted:
“Sharia court will be established in the southwest, and heaven won’t fall. You can’t do anything to stop it.”Another supporter, @MFaarees, added:
“If you’re a Muslim and you don’t want Sharia Law, you really need to question your Imaan. Like, how can you be Muslim and hate what Allah SWT commands?”However, critics argue that introducing Sharia law undermines the cultural and religious diversity of the South West, a region predominantly inhabited by Yoruba people with a mix of religious beliefs.
An opposing user, @bin_gbada, wrote:
“I’m a Muslim, and I’m TOTALLY against a Sharia law in Yoruba land. All hands should be on deck to ensure that no Sharia law is passed anywhere in the Southwest. It should be collectively rejected.”Another critic, @IleAjisefa, cautioned:
“The question is, ‘what progress does it bring?’ Those that claim it will be for Muslims only, don’t forget that was how they started in the north, and Hisbah can arrest anyone now. We reject Sharia law in its entirety. No to Sharia law in Yorubaland.”Many opponents argue that the establishment of a Sharia Court contradicts Nigeria’s secular constitution. User @Pfemiolaleye expressed this sentiment:
“There must be no Sharia law in the southwest. We are a secular country under secular laws! No one should even try to play that useless game over here.”The inauguration has sparked a broader debate about religious laws and cultural coexistence in Nigeria, with both sides passionately defending their views ahead of the event.
