The Voyage to Sharī‘Ah Stardom in Western Nigeria; The Case of Fatwa House, Kishi, Nigeria

Abstract

Every society strives for justice, but the means to achieve it vary. In Nigeria, the criminal code is the law of the land in the south, while the penal code is used in the north, along with Islamic criminal law. The penal code was later replaced by the Sharī‘ah penal code in some Muslim-majority states, such as Kano and Zamfara. Due to the Muslim minority in the south, this innovation could not be extended there. As an alternative, Muslims in some southern cities have formed Islamic conflict resolution committees, which lack constitutional backing for trying criminal cases and cannot impose appropriate punishments for such offences tried. This study investigates the strength of the Fatwa House in Kishi, Oyo State to confirm its relevance. The study used a combination of historical, content analysis, and descriptive survey research methods to collect and analyze data. The historical method was used to provide an overview of Shariah in Southern Nigeria. Content analysis was used to study the formation and legislative functions of the Fatwa House in Kishi, while descriptive analysis was used to study and analyze the data collected and the collection procedures. The research confirmed that the Fatwa House has been successful in curtailing social vices in Kishi through the use of reprimand as the main punishment for offences tried by the committee. The study also found that the Fatwa House is well-respected by the Muslim community in Kishi and its surrounding villages. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the Fatwa House should work on extending its reach to surrounding villages and arranging for hearings to be held in those villages. This would allow the Fatwa House to provide an alternative to the conventional court system for Muslims in the region.