Ekiti State Government has denied the existence of either the Sharia Court or the proposed Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in the State.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata (SAN), said that the Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel is not in the judicial structure of the State, noting that “Arbitration and/or Mediation issue is a Quasi-Judicial matters which are regulated by Law” in the State.
Apata said there is existing legal structure in Ekiti State (i.e. Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal and High Court) that has been handling issues relating to Islamic, Christian and Traditional Marriages and inheritance without any rancour or agitation.
According to him, “the Sharia Courts in the North are equivalent to the Customary Courts in the Southern part of Nigeria wherein the Appeals therefrom also go to the Sharia Court of Appeal”, adding that “the State similarly has Customary Courts that hear customary cases as well as the Customary Court of Appeal that hears appeals from the Customary Courts”.
Noting that the States High Courts and all other Courts also have Arbitration and Mediation mechanism, Apata emphasised that Customary Courts and the Customary Court of Appeal can effectively take care of any customary issues arising from Yoruba Traditional Marriages, Islamic Marriages, and Christian Marriages especially the ones that were not backed-up by the Statutory Marriages which can only be dissolved by the States High Courts throughout Nigeria.
While noting that the issue is a religious matter that must be handled with utmost care, Apata, however, cautioned against activities that may negatively affect the State Government’s policy of peaceful coexistence among residents of the State, stressing that government would not compromise on any action that may hinder the prevailing peace and fester hostility in the State.
He said Government is not unmindful of the fact the race for 2026 Governorship election is gathering momentum in Ekiti State and opposition members that cannot fault the performance of the State Government have resorted to all sort of unethical practices. He therefore advised religious leaders to be weary of being used as tools by politicians and fifth columnists because Government will not hesitate to invoke the full weight of the law to protect the Constitution of the Federation and maintain peaceful co-existence in the state.
