The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) has firmly rejected a proposal by US lawmakers seeking the repeal of Sharia law in Nigeria, describing the move as external interference and political intimidation.
Sharia law operates alongside statutory and customary law in Nigeria, particularly in 12 northern states where it was adopted in 1999 as a principal body of civil and criminal law. For Muslims, it is regarded as a comprehensive religious, moral and legal framework.
US lawmakers renew call
The latest call to scrap Sharia law was restated in a report submitted to the White House on Monday. Some US lawmakers have argued that the practice fuels alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, a claim the federal government has consistently rejected.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its secretary-general, Nafiu Ahmad, the SCSN dismissed the report as misleading.
“No power or authority can arrogantly make Muslims relinquish its practice in response to external pressure, misinformation, or political intimidation,” the council said.
‘Sharia backed by constitution’
The council stressed that Sharia law in Nigeria is constitutionally recognised. It noted that the constitution guarantees freedom of religion and allows citizens to regulate personal matters in line with their faith.
According to the SCSN, Nigeria remains a sovereign, multi-religious nation with a plural legal system. It warned that foreign attempts to influence domestic legal structures undermine the country’s sovereignty and constitutional order.
‘No Christian genocide’
The council also rejected claims of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
It argued that the country’s security crisis is driven by terrorism, banditry, organised crime and governance failures not a state-backed religious agenda.
“The government appears either indifferent or incapable of resolving the security problem which has claimed the lives of Muslims and Christians alike,” the statement added.
The SCSN maintained that portraying the violence as a one-sided religious genocide is inaccurate and unhelpful, insisting that the crisis affects Nigerians across faith lines.
