The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has cautioned the United States government over alleged calls by Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, urging Washington to pressure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to abolish Shari’ah law and the Hisbah corps in Nigeria.
In a statement released on Saturday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, condemned the reported recommendation, describing it as an unacceptable intrusion into Nigeria’s internal affairs and a direct attack on the identity and rights of Muslim citizens.
Akintola said Obadare’s comments amounted to “crossing the red line,” warning that any attempt, foreign or local, to dismantle Islamic legal institutions could alienate millions of Nigerian Muslims and undermine ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
“Obadare’s call is mischievous, reactionary and outlandish. It is undemocratic, neocolonial, and imperialistic,” he said.
“Shari’ah is the Muslims’ way of life. It cannot be separated from Islam. The moment anyone attempts to touch our Shari’ah, we begin to see him seeking to eliminate Islam in its totality. Our advice is this: Don’t go there. It is the red line,” the statement added.
According to MURIC, Obadare’s remarks were made during a joint House briefing in the United States following President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
The organisation questioned Washington’s motives, asking whether the US is genuinely committed to fighting terrorism or merely targeting Islamic systems.
MURIC stressed that both Shari’ah and Hisbah are constitutionally recognised and reflect the democratic choices of Nigerians in states where they operate.
Any attempt to outlaw them, the group warned, would amount to violating the rights of citizens and undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty.
