The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, on Saturday, announced the dissolution of the Sharia panel established at the Central Mosque, Ado Ekiti, to promote peaceful coexistence and maintain law and order within the community.
Adejugbe made his statement during a meeting with local chiefs, community members, and the Chief Imam, Sheik Jamiu Kewulere, who is also the President of the League of Imams and Alfas in the Southwest, Edo, and Delta states. This gathering addressed rising tensions surrounding the Sharia panel.
This decision followed closely after the state government clarified that the existing legal framework in Ekiti State does not recognize the Sharia Court or any Sharia Arbitration Panel. The state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Dayo Apata (SAN), responded to reports of the panel’s first public sitting, which had resolved two marriage disputes. He stated that matters concerning Islamic, Christian, and traditional marriages and inheritance had been handled effectively by the Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal, and High Court, without conflict.
Adejugbe explained, “In light of the Sharia issue, I convened a meeting with the Chief Imam and his associates, members of the Ewi-in-Council, the president of the Ado Progressives Union, and other notable Ado citizens to discuss this sensitive matter.
“We listened to their concerns, and it seems they established a committee at the Central Mosque to address disputes. They claim their intentions are good and that this arrangement is entirely internal, not influenced by outside parties.
“I conveyed that the current national mood does not permit such developments, urging them to revert to the ways in which the mosque’s founding fathers resolved disputes without a formal committee.
“I insisted that the committee is unnecessary and ordered its immediate dissolution. This decision has the full backing of the Ewi-in-Council and reflects the consensus of all Ado sons and daughters.
“The panel is hereby dissolved. If we allow such committees, Christians might seek to establish their own in local churches, and traditional worshippers may do the same, potentially leading to conflict.”
Earlier, Chief Imam Kewulere confirmed the committee’s establishment, noting that it had successfully resolved one marriage dispute and adjourned another. He rejected all allegations of sinister motives behind its creation.
Kewulere emphasised that Muslims and followers of other faiths had enjoyed harmonious relations, stating, “The committee was fundamentally created to address inheritance matters for the benefit of our members.”
He dismissed claims that it was intended to incite conflict and denied any external influence or involvement.
