The Association of Nigerian Imams condemns Dr. Obadare’s testimony and defends Shari’ah Law
By Yahaya Zakka Minna.
The Association of Nigerian Imams has strongly and unanimously condemned Dr. Ebenezer Obadare’s recent testimony before the United States Congress, where he called for the abolition of Shari’ah criminal law in 12 northern states and the disbandment of Hisbah commissions across Northern Nigeria.
In a statement signed by the National Secretary of the forum, Dr. Umar Farouk Abdullahi, and made available to news outlets in Minna, the Congress of Imams emphasized that the implementation of Shari’ah law in Northern Nigeria is a legitimate exercise of democratic principles, undertaken by elected representatives mandated to enact laws reflecting Islamic tenets.
This process, they argue, responds to the people’s wishes for a legal framework aligned with their faith and values.
The forum criticized Dr. Obadare’s testimony as a disrespect for democratic procedures and an infringement on the rights of millions of Muslims to practice their faith and govern according to their beliefs. “This is a clear violation of the religious rights of Nigerian Muslims and an attempt to impose external values and ideologies on the country,” they stated.
The Imams also described Obadare’s claims as a misrepresentation of facts and a reckless effort to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and the religious rights of its Muslim citizens. They clarified that Shari’ah law has coexisted with secular laws in Nigeria for decades and aligns with the country’s federal and constitutional frameworks.
The forum dismissed claims linking Shari’ah law to insurgency, citing Boko Haram’s extremist ideology, socio-economic marginalization, and rejection of democracy, rather than religious law. They called on the Nigerian government to support the Hisbah commissions and ensure their operations remain unhindered.
Furthermore, they urged the international community to recognize the importance of these institutions and collaborate with Nigerian authorities to promote peace, stability, and social cohesion.
The crisis in Nigeria, they argued, is primarily driven by terrorism, banditry, government failure, and conflicts over resources, not religion. Framing the situation as a religious conflict risks escalating tensions and unfairly stereotyping Nigeria’s Muslim population, which has itself suffered from violence inflicted by groups like Boko Haram.
