‘If a father who is a Muslim dies and some of his children have converted to Christians, in Yorubaland, all of them will have access to the inheritance. But, if they apply Sharia, the Sharia Court will say, since the child has left Islam, he is not entitled to the inheritance of his father who died as a Muslim. Therefore, Sharia cannot work in Yorubaland if we don’t want to ignite war.’
Chief Imam of Yorubaland, Sheik Abdulraheem Aduanigba, has warned that the practice of Sharia can never work in the South-West.
Sheik Aduanigba who said this in a viral video warned that any attempt to impose Sharia on the people in the six states of the South-West could ignite war.
While adducing many reasons which make Sharia impracticable in the zone, he said that three religions are distinct: Christianity, Islam and traditional religion, and warned that any attempt to foist Sharia on Christians whose population is 27 million and traditional worshippers who are 10 million will fan the ember of disunity and chaos.
He stressed that since Muslims are not dominant in the zone, it will amount to an invitation to war if Sharia is introduced.
His views contradict that of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III who threw his weight behind Sharia in the South-West.
The Chief Imam said: “Sharia cannot work in Yorubaland because our general language is Yoruba. When we talk of Yoruba, there are three distinct religions. Our original religion in Yorubaland is a traditional religion before the advent of Christianity. When Christianity came, it gave birth to Islam. In Yorubaland today, we have 27 million Christians, 23 million Muslims and 10 million traditional worshippers.
“In Yorubaland today, there are 972 traditional rulers. So, if we say we should introduce Sharia, it will contradict the system we have been using in our own law.
“We, in the South-West, are aware that some of us celebrate masquerade festivals; some mark Christmas and Easter; some celebrate Ramadan and Ileya. So, if some of us in Yoruba decide to use Sharia, Sharia means women should cover their heads and we will start quarrelling with women who don’t cover their heads; those who drink alcoholic drinks, Sharia will frown at them. Yorubaland can’t allow such a system.
“Sharia cannot work and the reason is that the money generated from Breweries in Lagos is the money given to the North who practice Sharia; the internally generated revenue from hotels where there are commercial sex workers is given to the North who cannot allow such things. That’s why I’m happy with the Tax Reform Bill that President Tinubu initiated that each state should be given the fair share of its IGR. So, that’s why Sharia cannot work in Yorubaland if we don’t want to cause war.”
“It could cause war when someone wears knicker(shorts) on the road and Muslims pick her up because she has flouted Sharia. It’s not that it is only we Muslims that dominate Yorubaland.
“So, Sharia cannot work in the South-West. Sharia is an agenda by the North.
“What they want to do is to first use Sharia to settle marital crisis, they are deceiving us. Thereafter, they will say whoever wants to share their inheritance in the Muslim way should do so. If they apply that, in Yorubaland, a father may have children who are both Christians, Muslims and traditional religion worshippers. “
“So, if a father who is a Muslim dies and some of his children have converted to Christians, in Yorubaland, all of them will have access to the inheritance. But, if they apply Sharia, the Sharia Court will say, since the child has left Islam, he is not entitled to the inheritance of his father who died as a Muslim. Therefore, Sharia cannot work in Yorubaland if we don’t want to ignite war.”
