Reps reject Shariah law bill

A bill seeking to make Sharia law not just a personal matter in the constitution has been rejected in the House of Representatives.

The bill seeks to amend sections 24, 262 and 277 of the Constitution by removing “personal” in the application of Sharia law.

The sponsor of the bill, Aliyu Missau, said commercial entities find it difficult to operate, noting that the constitution did not envisage entities like Jaiz and Taj banks.

However, many lawmakers interpreted the move as an attempt to broaden the scope of Shariah law, which is often limited to marriage, inheritance and other personal issues.

Bamidele Salam, a lawmaker from Osun State, said the bill should be rejected because it has the potential to derail the freedom enjoyed by all religions in Nigeria.

“We must be careful with any changes to the Constitution that could further widen divisions in Nigeria. In any case, the matters my colleague seeks to address are already covered by existing laws,” he said.

Similarly, Awaji-Inombek Abiante said the bill should be stepped down because of the danger it holds.

On the other side, several northern lawmakers supported the bill, stating that the proposal is harmless.

Saidu Abdullah, Abdullah Ado, Ahmad Satomi and others spoke in support of the bill.

However, the opposition to the bill was fierce.

When it was put to question by Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu, the “nays” had it.