The Ndi Igbo Worldwide Union has warned the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and Northern Islamic leaders that rising tensions over Sharia criminal law have pushed Nigeria toward what it described as an existential national test.
In a statement signed by its President, Benjamin I. Nwankwo, and Secretary, Chief Charles Edemuzo, the group said the country had reached a critical turning point, stressing that “the time for ambiguity is over.”
The union stated that opposition by Islamic authorities to calls by US Congressman Riley Moore to repeal Sharia criminal law exposed deeper constitutional and political contradictions within Nigeria. It argued that the backlash reflected what it called the unsustainability of the Nigerian state in its present form.
According to the group, Nigeria’s constitutional recognition of Sharia and its membership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation make the outright removal of the religious legal system unrealistic without structural reform. It maintained that imposing a unified common law framework without first dismantling the 1999 Constitution would fail, warning that such proposals are impractical.
The organisation contended that the coexistence of dual legal systems weakens national unity, insisting that two legal codes cannot function effectively in a modern nation. It added that Nigeria cannot operate as a common law society while maintaining a full religious legal structure alongside it.
Addressing Northern political and religious leaders directly, the group called for a clear decision — either fully embrace an egalitarian common law system where all Nigerians are equal before the law or pursue a separate sovereign Islamic enclave if that is their preference. It described the current arrangement as untenable, declaring that “the status quo is dead.”
The union warned that Nigeria now faces two possible outcomes: a peaceful referendum establishing a safe haven in the East for persecuted Judeo-Christian citizens, or escalating violence and eventual fragmentation if structural issues remain unresolved.
Drawing historical parallels, the group cited England’s protection of Protestants fleeing persecution in France and suggested that Biafra could serve as a modern sanctuary for citizens allegedly facing oppression in Northern Nigeria. It stressed that its position should not be viewed as a threat but as a historical inevitability.
The message was also directed at federal lawmakers, stating that the National Assembly stands at a defining moment. Legislators, it said, must either remove Sharia from the Constitution to preserve peace or risk presiding over a fracture of the Nigerian state, emphasizing that there is no middle ground.
Defending its position, the union referenced incidents it described as evidence of insecurity and persecution, including the lynching of Deborah Samuel and the continued captivity of Leah Sharibu.
The group warned that continued inaction would amount to deliberate negligence, insisting that the safety and future of Ndi Igbo and other affected Nigerians require clarity and decisive action.
Concluding, the union said Nigeria faces a defining choice and warned that history will judge those who act and those who fail to respond.