The government of Ekiti State has denied claims of a Sharia Court or proposed Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in the state.
The government also reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful coexistence among residents.
This was made known in a statement by Dayo Apata, SAN, State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
Apata clarified that the state’s judicial structure does not include a Sharia Court or a similar arbitration panel.
He explained that issues of arbitration and mediation are quasi-judicial matters regulated by law and adequately handled by existing legal institutions in Ekiti.
According to him, “there is no Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in the judicial structure of the State,” as he noted that “Arbitration and/or mediation issues are quasi-judicial matters which are regulated by law” in the state.
He further noted that the state has legal structures, including the Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal, and High Court, which, he said, handle cases relating to Islamic, Christian, and traditional marriages, as well as inheritance disputes.
