The government of Ekiti State has reaffirmed that the neither the Sharia Court nor its Arbitration Panel is not recognised in the state.
Dayo Apata, the state’s Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in a statement said the uproar and reports about Sharia legal system in the state are only a hoax.
Reacting to reports of the state’s Sharia public sitting on two marriages last week, Apata said there is a legal structure in Ekiti that handles issues of Christian, Islamic and traditional marriages.
He said the structure also takes care of inheritances without rifts between family members.
His words, “There is an 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.”
Further warning detractors against statements or activities that can impede the peaceful coexistence between residents of Ekiti, the AG said the state government would not compromise on addressing any form of hostility.
He said, “The Sharia Courts in the North are equivalent to the Customary Courts in the Southern part of Nigeria.
“Wherein appeals from Sharia Courts in the North go to Sharia Court of Appeal, the state similarly has Customary Court of Appeal that hears appeals from the Customary Courts,” Apata stated.
He further called in religious leaders to desist from being used by politicians to cause crises in the state.
Apata said the Ekiti state government would not hesitate to invoke the wrath of the law to ensure the peace and safety of the people.