The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to urgently appoint qualified Shari’ah experts to the Federal Court of Appeal, warning that the prolonged absence of Islamic law specialists is undermining the fair and informed adjudication of Shari’ah-related cases in Nigeria.
The appeal was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, by the Executive Director of the Islamic human rights organisation, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
According to MURIC, despite constitutional provisions mandating that Shari’ah Courts of Appeal be manned by judges learned in Islamic law, the Court of Appeal has operated without a Shari’ah panel for the past seven years. The organisation added that a similar situation persists at the Supreme Court, which it said currently lacks adequate personnel to competently handle Shari’ah matters, especially following the exit of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad.
MURIC disclosed that information available to it indicates that there is presently no Shari’ah panel at the Court of Appeal to hear appeals arising from Shari’ah Courts of Appeal in states practising Islamic law. It further alleged that only one Shari’ah law expert serves in the entire Court of Appeal, while none is available at the Supreme Court.
The group warned that this critical shortage of qualified experts has led to unnecessary delays in the determination of Islamic law cases and could potentially result in miscarriages of justice if left unaddressed.
Expressing disappointment, MURIC noted that Nigeria boasts an abundance of qualified Shari’ah scholars and jurists, describing it as “strange” that the nation’s highest courts are allegedly deprived of such essential expertise.
The organisation also raised concerns over a recent judicial recruitment exercise, alleging that only one out of 49 shortlisted candidates was a Shari’ah expert, despite the availability of numerous qualified Qadis across various jurisdictions. It therefore urged the NJC to ensure that the lone shortlisted Shari’ah candidate is duly considered.
Furthermore, MURIC called on the NJC to prioritise the appointment and elevation of qualified Muslims with deep expertise in Islamic law to the appellate courts, stressing that being a Muslim judge alone does not automatically confer the competence required to adjudicate Shari’ah matters.
Describing Shari’ah as a highly specialised legal discipline, the group urged the NJC to take deliberate and urgent steps to bridge what it termed a critical gap in Nigeria’s judicial system, in the interest of justice, fairness, and constitutional balance.