Rights lawyer Chukwudi Ezeobika has challenged claims that Sharia law does not affect non-Muslims in Northern Nigeria, saying the on-the-ground reality tells a very different story.
He cited the routine seizure and destruction of alcoholic drinks — legally traded and consumed by non-Muslims — by Hisbah police across several northern states as clear evidence of overreach.
“If Islamic law, as Danmaliki asserts, has no jurisdiction over non-Muslims, why are their goods constantly being confiscated and destroyed?” he asked.
Ezeobika further questioned Nigeria’s secular status, stating that if the country is truly secular, then urgent legislation is needed to protect the rights of all citizens, regardless of religion or location.
His remarks followed statements by the Bauchi State traditional leader and custodian of the Danmalikin Bauchi title, Aminu Danmaliki, who told journalists that Sharia is widely misunderstood and does not apply to Christians. Danmaliki dismissed accusations of Sharia-based persecution as “misinformation” and insisted that the Islamic legal system is constitutionally protected, limited to Muslims, and historically rooted in broader global legal traditions.
He argued that Sharia enhances justice and national unity and noted that Nigeria already operates a multi-legal system involving common law, customary law, and Sharia.
But Ezeobika maintains that Hisbah’s repeated actions contradict these assurances, exposing a gap between official claims and everyday reality. He said the pattern raises serious concerns about selective enforcement and the true state of religious freedom in northern Nigeria.