“Women Suffer Most from Absence of Sharia Courts in South West” – Justice Sayi

The absence of Sharia Courts in the South West region of Nigeria has been described as a major legal gap affecting the Muslim population, with women bearing the greatest burden. Justice Abdur-Raheem Sayi of the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Ilorin, made this assertion while speaking at the pre-Ramadan lecture organized by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA).

Justice Sayi emphasized that denying Muslims access to Sharia Courts for issues such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance violates their fundamental rights as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. He noted that in states like Lagos, Muslims seeking marriage dissolution have no legally recognized court to turn to, forcing them to rely on informal panels or customary courts that do not operate under Islamic legal principles.

He revealed that the Lagos High Court has, on several occasions, referred cases involving Muslim marriages and divorces to the Independent Sharia Panel, an unofficial body set up by Muslims in the state. He also pointed out that courts in Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo have often declined jurisdiction over cases related to Islamic family law, leaving many disputes unresolved.

According to him, the absence of Sharia Courts disproportionately affects women, as many find themselves abandoned by their husbands without legal recourse. He urged government officials, particularly female leaders, to address this injustice and ensure that the legal needs of the region’s Muslim population are met.