six states. Why should a section of country adopt a different law from others?
“The Nigerian constitution stipulates that we are
Nigerians first and then Muslims (or Christians)
second. However, some fanatic northern Nigerian elected officials are insisting that Muslims are Muslims first and Nigerians second and, therefore,
are entitled to live by the sharia Islamic law. The
contradiction is these elected officials were
elected through a secular constitution that is the
supreme legal document of the land. Each official swore to uphold the constitution. After being elected, some Muslim officials now want that constitution subordinate to sharia law. Proponents of sharia argue that the constitution guarantees freedom of religion while opponents argue that freedom of religion does not mean that Islam will be the state religion and take precedence over the constitution. When a northern Nigerian state adopts Islam as the state religion, it in fact puts the state above the nation and its constitution. In
other words, “freedom of religion” does not entitle some northern states to create an Islamic state within the secular state of Nigeria. More
specifically, the Nigerian constitution does not
permit the adoption of Christianity or Islam as the state religion. ” – PHILIP EMEAGWALI
“If we as Muslims want amputation or death
penalty, we said we want it because it is our
religion and the constitution of the country has
agreed that everyone has the right to practise
the religion of his choice.” – Buhari
[b]May 29, 1999
Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima of Zamfara state
took office and swore to defend the secular
constitution.
October 22, 1999
Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima proclaimed Zamfara
a theocratic state governed under a Sharia law
January 1, 2000
Sharia law took effect in Zamfara state
January 27, 2000
Sharia courts were set up
Shooting of unarmed protesters
There are many reports of the
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