Rights activist and diaspora-based columnist Perry Brimah has called for the implementation of Sharia law in Nigeria, suggesting that its severe penalties, including hand amputation for corrupt politicians, could effectively deter corruption in the country.
Brimah made the assertion while discussing the proposed establishment of a Sharia arbitration panel in Oyo State during an appearance on HaveYourSay247, a programme hosted by Rudolf Okonkwo.
The proposal for a Sharia arbitration panel by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria recently stirred public outrage, leading the organisers to suspend the initiative indefinitely. The council clarified that the proposed panel was intended as an arbitration system, not a court.
Brimah defended the proposal, stating that Sharia law has been part of Yorubaland’s history for over 300 years, functioning without conflicts. He criticised Nigeria’s reliance on Western-style legal systems, which he argued have failed to tackle corruption and criminality effectively.
“This Western law is designed to let the wealthy get off,” Brimah said. “I actually want the harsh Sharia. I want them to cut off the hands of Nigerian elected officials like they did in China.
“Other than Sharia and the capitalist law that Sharia has and not the Western law that allows people [to] get off, there is no solution to Nigeria’s criminality.
“Divine laws protect societies from the rot that is caused by the Western laws that prioritise imprisoning people. It’s a ridiculous system that makes no sense.
“Societies don’t need to waste resources to put people in prison when their crimes can be dealt with immediately by lashing them in public or cutting off their hands and then letting them go.”
Brimah, an indigene of Kwara State, emphasised that Sharia courts in Nigeria’s north-central region operate without infringing on the rights of non-Muslims, as their jurisdiction is voluntary. He described these courts as “additional legal resources” complementing the country’s existing Western legal framework.
He noted, “Sharia courts have been part of our legal history and have peacefully coexisted with other systems for centuries. They provide an alternative legal resource that serves specific communities without conflict.”
