The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has issued a warning to the United States over alleged calls by Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, Senior Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, urging Washington to pressure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to outlaw Shari’ah law and Hisbah in Nigeria.

In a statement, the MURIC executive director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described Obadare’s call as “crossing the red line” and warned that any interference with Nigeria’s Islamic legal system could alienate Nigerian Muslims and jeopardise the fight against terrorism.

“Obadare’s call is mischievous, reactionary and outlandish. It is undemocratic, neocolonial and imperialistic.

“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,” Akintola said.

Obadare reportedly made the call during a joint House briefing in response to US President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.” MURIC questioned the true intentions of the United States, asking whether it is genuinely fighting terrorism or targeting Islam.

The statement highlighted that Shari’ah and Hisbah are legally and constitutionally entrenched, reflecting the choice of the Nigerian people, and that any attempt to outlaw them would betray democratic values. (Weekend Trust)