Olufunke Aladejare
The Ekiti State Government has denied the existence of either the Sharia Court or the proposed Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in the State.
This was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata.
The Attorney-General said that the Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel is not in the judicial structure of the Ekiti, 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 which Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal and High Court, that have been handling issues relating to Islamic, Christian and Traditional Marriages and inheritance without any rancour or agitation.
He said, “The Sharia Courts in the North are equivalent to the Customary Courts in the Southern part of Nigeria wherein the Appeals therefrom also goes to the Sharia Court of Appeal.
“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”.
The Commissioner for Justice noted that the States High Courts and all other Courts also have Arbitration and Mediation mechanism, while also emphasizing 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.
Apata 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 also advised religious leaders to be weary of being used as electioneering tools by politicians and fifth columnists as Ekiti State 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.