₦airaland Forum

Fellow Nigerians,



We have been following events in Abia State for quite sometime now and to our utter dismay, things are getting out of hand that we cannot just sit and watch helplessly. Aba Town and Abia State have been turned into the kidnapping capital of Nigeria. The situation in the state is at its best, anarchical and pandemoniacal. The immediate past and present governments in the state have only succeeded in making Aba a big rubbish heap and one of the dirtiest cities in the world.



In Aba, people do not have rest of mind again and cannot sleep comfortably in their homes, rather, many prefer to sleep in the bush and in churches, and still at that, the kidnappers find them everywhere they run to. Those living abroad can't go home anymore because of the insecurity in the state; despite the fact that they are helping, in their own ways, in sustaining Nigeria through the financial lifeline they are giving to their loved ones and the businesses they have over there.





To make matters worse, there is a complete break down of infrastructure in the state and nobody cares to fix things there. The security situation in Aba and the state is really bad, such that armed robbers now give notices before attacking. We all read how armed robbers issued notice before attacking the First Bank and Fidelity Bank at Port Harcourt Road, Aba on June 2, 2010. As they wrote, they (armed robbers) went and ransacked the banks, for more than five hours, without resistance. The robbers even challenged the security forces to an open duel without anybody taking up the challenge.



The citizens, who have the wherewithal, are re-locating to other states and businesses are closing because the customers, from far and near, are no longer coming, because, of the menace of kidnapping. The worst of it all is that the politicians are not capable of protecting the state citizens. The south-eastern governors just declared their inability to tackle the criminals in the zone, but, they are good at emptying their respective states’ treasuries. If the governors can remove their stinking fingers from their state monies and use same to work for the good of all, crime will be subdued. Soon, there will be elections and if the states’ governors cannot guarantee security of lives and property in their domains, who will  protect the ballot boxes?



If the Abia State governor cannot rule and cannot live up to his responsibility of providing security for all, then the Declaration of State of Emergency is the only option left.



We hereby call on the president to declare a state of emergency in Abia State because the local politicians have failed to live up to their responsibility and the people of the state can’t go on living that way.



Please sign up and pass the petition to others. This should concern all Nigerians from all ethnic groups, because, if we acquiesce to the lawlessness, lack of leadership and incompetence of the elected officials in Abia State, who knows which state it will be its turn tomorrow.  We are in this together.

Your concerned citizens

E - The Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

260. (1) There shall be a Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
(2) The Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja shall consist of -

(a) a Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal. and

(b) such number of Kadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.

261. (1) The appointment of a person to the office of the Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja shall be made by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, subject to confirmation of such appointment by the Senate.

(2) The appointment of a person to the office of a Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal shall be made by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.

(3) A person shall not be qualified to hold office as Grand Kadi or Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja unless -

(a) he is a legal practitioner in Nigeria and has so qualified for a period of not less than ten years and has obtained a recognised qualification in Islamic law from an institution acceptable to the National Judicial Council; or

(b) he has attended and has obtained a recognised qualification in Islamic law from an institution approved by the National Judicial Council and has held the qualification for a period of not less than twelve years; and

(i) he either has considerable experience in the Practice of Islamic law, or

(ii) he is a distinguished scholar of Islamic law.

(4) If the office of the Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal is vacant or if the person holding the office is for any reason unable to perform the functions of the office, then, until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office or until the person holding the office has resumed those functions, the President shall appoint the most senior Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal to perform those functions.

(5) Except on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, an appointment pursuant to the provisions of subsection (4) of this section shall cease to have effect after the expiration of three months from the date of such appointment and the President shall not re-appoint a person whose appointment has lapsed.

262. (1) The Sharia Court of Appeal shall, in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by an Act of the National Assembly, exercise such appellate and supervisory jurisdiction in civil proceedings involving questions of Islamic personal law.

(2) For the purpose of subsection (1) of this section, the Sharia Court of Appeal shall be competent to decide -

(a) any question of Islamic personal law regarding a marriage concluded in accordance with that law, including a question relating to the validity or dissolution of such a marriage or a question that depends on such a marriage and relating to family relationship or the guardianship of an infant;

(b) where all the parties to the proceeding are Muslims, any question of Islamic personal law regarding a marriage, including the validity or dissolution of that marriage, or regarding family relationship, a foundling or the guardianship of an infant;

(c) any question of Islamic personal law regarding a wakf, gift, will or succession where the endower, donor, testator or deceased person is a Muslim;

(d) any question of Islamic personal law regarding an infant, prodigal or person of unsound mind who is a Muslim or the maintenance or the guardianship of a Muslim who is physically or mentally infirm; or

(e) where all the parties to the proceedings, being Muslims, have requested the court that hears the case in the first instance to determine that case in accordance with Islamic personal law, any other question.

263. For the purpose of exercising any jurisdiction conferred upon it by this Constitution or any Act of the National Assembly, the Sharia Court of Appeal shall be duly constituted if it consists of at least three Kadis of that Court.

264. Subject to the provisions of any Act of the National Assembly, the Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja may make rules for regulating the practice and procedure of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.