An influential monarch in Osun State, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwo, has thrown his weight behind the call for the introduction of Sharia law practice in the South-Wes region.

Oluwo, who claimed that Sharia law has been in practice in Yoruba land for a long time, allayed the fears of non-Muslims over the proposition.

This is coming on the heels of a recent public outcry that greeted the plan of an Islamic organisation to inaugurate a Sharia council at the Muslim Community Islamic Centre, Oba Adeyemi High School Road, Mobolaje Area in Oyo State.

Following the criticisms, the organisation was forced to postpone indefinitely, the Sharia Council inauguration, scheduled for January 11, 2025.

The development elicited wide criticism from a cross-section of Nigerians, with many drawing attention to the distinct religious make-up of the South-West and the North, where Muslims were in the majority.

Oluwo supports Sharia law practice in South-West

But, commenting on the issue, the monarch argued that Sharia law was already in Yoruba land.

“We have Sharia banks in the South-West, and these banks operate according to Sharia law. Sharia law has been in Iwo for over 100 years, and there is a Sharia college in Iwo. It’s the right of Muslims to choose customary law or the high court.

“Many Muslims feel disenfranchised when it comes to the sharing of inheritance and divorce matters. Western education doesn’t understand the ways of Muslim divorce, marriage, and inheritance. Sharia law is in the constitution of Nigeria, and it’s visible in the North, where there are Nigerians. Anywhere we have Muslims, there is Sharia,” he told Punch.

Oluwo also stressed the freedom of religious association, saying that Christians and adherents of other faiths have nothing to be afraid of as Sharia law is only applicable to Muslim faithful.

“If any other person likes it, they can convert to Islam, and Muslims can also convert to Christianity. Everyone is free. Sharia shouldn’t be a problem for other religions. No government can deny Muslims their inalienable rights,” Akanbi explained.