A Christian property owner has accused the Sharia Court of Appeal in Abuja of unlawfully seizing and auctioning his shop to recover a tenant’s unpaid debt, sparking widespread controversy over jurisdictional overreach.
According to a viral video trending, the property owner, who built the shop in 2012, claimed that officials from the Sharia Court approached him three months ago, stating that the shop had been sold to settle the tenant’s debt. The owner argued that as a Christian, he should not be subject to Sharia law, and the court’s actions were a clear overreach of its jurisdiction.
Legal experts on Arise News, early morning show supported the property owner’s claims, citing the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which restricts Sharia courts to matters of Islamic law where all parties are Muslims and consent to the court’s jurisdiction.
Legal Experts Question Sharia Court Jurisdiction in Abuja Property Dispute
Since the property owner is a Christian and the dispute concerns a commercial tenancy, experts argued that the Sharia Court had no jurisdiction over the matter.
The incident has raised widedpread concerns about the potential for religious bias and the need for clarity on the limits of Sharia jurisdiction in Nigeria’s Federal capital territory, Abuja. Critics argue that this incident could be perceived as deliberate oppression of Christians and highlight the complexities of Nigeria’s dual legal system, where secular and religious laws coexist
It was reported that the property owner, an ibo man has since sought legal representation to challenge the court’s actions and demand compensation for lost goods and business disruption. As the controversy unfolds, many Nigerians are waiting to see how the secular courts will handle the case.
Read the full report and follow updates on this developing story at LouisaOlaniyi.com.ng
