The NDI Igbo Worldwide Union has warned the Federal Government and the National Assembly that Nigeria risks disintegration if it continues to operate what it described as a “dual legal system” of Sharia and common law.
In a press statement signed by its President, Benjamin I. Nwankwo, and Secretary, Chief Charles Edemuzo, the union said the country was facing its “ultimate test” over the continued coexistence of Sharia criminal law and the constitutional common law framework.
“The time for ambiguity is over,” the statement read. “Nigeria cannot continue to pretend that a common law society can function alongside a full-blown religious legal system. Two legal codes cannot coexist in a serious, modern nation.”
The group said northern leaders must make a clear choice between what it termed “an egalitarian common law society where all Nigerians are equal under the law” and operating as “an exclusive Islamic enclave—legitimate, sovereign and separate if they so choose.”
The union warned that failure to address what it described as a structural imbalance could lead to national fragmentation.
According to the statement, the country faces “two stark outcomes: a peaceful referendum establishing a safe haven in the East for persecuted Judeo-Christian citizens, or violence and inevitable fragmentation.”
It cited the killing of Deborah Samuel and the continued captivity of Leah Sharibu as examples of what it called growing insecurity and religious intolerance, arguing that the safety and future of Ndi Igbo and other Nigerians must be guaranteed through decisive constitutional action.
The union called on lawmakers to “remove Sharia from the Constitution and preserve peace,” warning that ignoring the issue could result in a fracture of the Nigerian state.
Speaking further, Nwankwo said, “Nigeria has a choice. The clock is ticking. History will remember who acted—and who failed,” describing the situation as a structural fault line threatening national cohesion.
Edemuzo added that the union was not calling for confrontation but for “clarity and equality under the law,” insisting that the protection of all citizens must be paramount.
As of press time, there was no official response from the Federal Government or the National Assembly to the union’s demands.
