Hundreds Of Protestors Rock National Assembly Over Islamization Bill

Hundreds of protesters under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Society and
Faith Based Organization (CCSFBO) on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 staged a protest
at the National Assembly over the ongoing amendment of the Sharia laws,
insisting that alteration of section 262 and 277 of the 1999 Constitution as
amended is an attempt at the Islamization of Nigeria.
The protesters who were of both Christian and Muslim faiths warned that a bill
which is seeking the increase in jurisdiction of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the
FCT and Sharia Court of the states as it borders on the criminal justice system
of the nation is an attempt to create disunity in Nigeria.
According to Vanguard , the group staged a peaceful protest from the Unity
Fountain to NASS Complex, carrying placard with various inscriptions
stating:“Christians and Muslims are one”, “Do not alter section 262 and 277”,
“Don’t abuse our freedom”, “We love Nigeria, we love our unity”, etc.
The convener of the rally, Obande Gideon during his address to newsmen faulted
the leadership of the House for encouraging the introduction of a religious
doctrine into the constitution of the nation knowing fully well that Nigeria is a
multi-religious nation.
“With the clear picture that some of the suggestions of the Sharia law for
example; amputation and stoning to death etc are dehumanization, we see this
as a clear and deliberate attempt to heat up the polity of this country bearing in
mind that we have suffered a lot of crisis on religious lines,” Gideon said.
“We see this as a direct infringement on our fundamental human right as every
citizen of this great nation is entitled to the freedom of worship, we thereby see
the above move of engrafting the provisions of the sharia law into the sections
262 and 277 as a direct imposition of an Islamic doctrine on the Nigerian
people and especially the Christian Community in Nigeria.
Gideon said it was surprising that those from other religious extraction in the
house and those considered as noble people in the House of Representatives
despite their religious affiliation have kept silent over the controversial bill.
“We are totally disappointed that the Speaker and his team of leaders in the 8th
assembly will allow an amendment that will temper with the rights of Nigerians
despite the support and solidarity he has enjoyed from Nigerians which is totally
devoid of religious or ethnic sentiments, he said.
Similarly, a representative of Muslim community, Ibrahim Dallah described the
ongoing amendment of the Sharia laws as a cog in the wheel of progress in the
unity of Nigeria. V
Vanguard