The Araba Agbaiye, His Eminence, Owolabi Awodotun Aworeni, has cautioned those intending to set up Sharia Courts of Law in Oyo town and Yorubaland to reconsider their actions. He emphasized that Sharia law, in any form, will not be accepted anywhere in Yorubaland, which includes Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, and Lagos States. This warning followed the announcement by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (Oyo State chapter) about their plan to establish a Sharia court in Oyo town on January 11, 2025. The announcement faced strong pushback from the youth in the South West, leading to the cancellation of the court’s inauguration. In a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, Araba Aworeni, who is the Oluisese and the supreme leader of traditional religion worshippers globally, stated that Yorubaland has always been known as a haven for traditional beliefs and that the establishment of a Sharia Court could pose a serious threat to the safety of lives and property in the South West region. He noted, “Yorubaland has been recognized as a sanctuary of traditional beliefs since its beginning and is celebrated for its traditional faith, practices, spirituality, and knowledge.” The demand by certain dissident groups in the Islamic Council to set up Sharia Courts in Yorubaland on January 11th, 2024, presents a serious threat to the safety of lives and property in the South-West states. He urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to caution religious extremists and similar groups to keep out of Yorubaland. He suggested that the evidence strongly indicates to him and the Araba council that introducing Sharia Courts in Yorubaland could profoundly disrupt the peace in the area. “Therefore, I believe it is essential to appeal to the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, and all parties involved to advise these Islamic extremists and similar groups to avoid Yorubaland.” The evidence presented has led both me and the Arabas council to believe that creating Sharia Courts in Yorubaland would drastically undermine the peace of our region. The Supreme Leader of Traditional Religion Worshippers is firmly against the proposals to implement Sharia law or set up Sharia Courts in Nigeria’s South-West. The initiative for a Sharia Court in Oyo town is controversial, and we will oppose any efforts to enforce extreme legal systems in Yorubaland. “As traditionalists, we will not permit Sharia law or courts in our territory.” Yoruba customs and beliefs are unique, and efforts to impose outside systems on us will face strong opposition. Sharia law does not align with our way of life and contradicts the values of harmony and coexistence that we hold dear. He called for an immediate cancellation of the proposed plan, asserting that traditional worshippers are prepared to protect the Yoruba ancestral land from any attempts at destabilization. “We are prepared to defend the Yoruba ancestral land against any destabilizing actions, including attempts to enforce Sharia law.”
