The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called for amendments to Nigeria’s Constitution to establish Sharia Courts across all states in the South-West, and to designate Fridays as a public holiday in recognition of Islamic religious observance.
The demands were presented during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on constitutional review, where the group’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, was represented by Dr. Jamiu Busari.
Addressing members of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, MURIC argued that these proposals would ensure greater inclusiveness and uphold the rights of Muslims in the region.
“No Sharia Court currently exists in Southwestern Nigeria, where Muslims arguably form the majority.
This contradicts the pre-colonial Yoruba experience before the advent of British rule,” Akintola said.
He emphasized the need to establish Sharia Courts in all South-Western states, including Edo, citing the sizable Muslim population in these areas. He also called for a constitutional provision that would compel state governors to set up Sharia Courts of Appeal.
“These courts will handle Muslim matters only, ensuring non-Muslims are not affected,” he added.
MURIC further proposed that the National Assembly declare Fridays as public holidays, referencing the traditional Islamic practice where Thursday and Friday served as the weekend during the pre-colonial era.
“Thursdays and Fridays were traditional weekends for Muslims in the pre-colonial period.
Currently, Nigeria recognises Saturday and Sunday as weekends, both favouring Christians,” Akintola said.
He noted that the current weekend structure was introduced during colonial rule and was later adjusted under the military regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon to benefit Seventh-Day Adventists.
Akintola argued that the existing system is lopsided, offering more recognition to Christian holidays while leaving Muslims at a disadvantage.
“We demand Friday be included as a recognised weekend day for Muslims,” he said.
He pointed out that of the eight national public holidays currently observed, five cater to Christian festivals while only three reflect Muslim celebrations. These include Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year, Good Friday, and Easter Monday for Christians, and Eid-Kabir, Eid Fitr, and Maulud for Muslims.
He called for the Islamic New Year to be officially added to the national calendar, saying some states already observe it and should serve as a model for national adoption.
Additionally, MURIC urged legal recognition of Islamic (Nikkah) marriages, arguing that they are often not accepted for official purposes.
“Christian marriages conducted in churches or registries are officially accepted nationwide.
But Nikkah marriages are not recognised, creating problems for Muslim couples in formal settings,” he stated.
Akintola described the disparity as discriminatory, noting that legal equality should be extended to all religious groups.
“A religious group’s marriage is officially accepted while another’s is ignored — this must change,” he said.
Supporting the advocacy, the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) also pressed for the establishment of Sharia Courts and called for the introduction of courts that would specialize in Islamic financial matters to accommodate Muslim economic principles.
Responding to the presentations, Deputy Senate President, Senator Jubrin Barau, through Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, assured participants that all submissions would be thoroughly reviewed and presented to the National Assembly for further consideration.
Various other interest groups — including those representing women, students, and youths — also participated in the public hearing with their submissions.
