Sharia council joins NAPTIP in Yerima Lawsuit
The Supreme Council
for Sharia in Nigeria has extended its lawsuit to the National Agency
for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters
(NAPTIP) for its investigation of Zamfara State Senator Ahmed Yerima to
an underage Egyptian girl.
The council asked a
Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, to join NAPTIP to the suit because
it had twice invited Mr. Yerima to appear before it over his marriage
to a girl who could be as young as 14.
Mohammed Ndanusa
Katu, the lawyer representing the council, said the essence of joining
the agency to the suit was to make its support for the senator clear.
The council said that Mr. Yerima had the right to marry up to four
wives under Islamic law, and that the National Assembly had no right to
interfere with such marriages.
The trial judge,
Adamu Bello, granted the application and joined NAPTIP to the suit,
saying the organisation was not opposed by any of the parties already
involved.
Justice Bello
adjourned the case until October 22 and told parties to file and
exchange written addresses so as to pave way for their adoption.
The council had
sued the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC). It asked the court to declare that Mr.
Yerima’s fundamental human rights had been breached by the
organisations’ decision to investigate the marriage.
The council had
also asked the court to stop the lawmakers from taking any steps,
decisions, or actions in relation to the matter.
Leave a Reply