Nigeria Cannot Survive Dual Legal System, Igbo Union Warns

The NDI Igbo Worldwide Union has issued a stark warning to the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and Northern Islamic leadership, saying Nigeria faces its “ultimate test” over the coexistence of Sharia law and common law.

In a press release signed by President Benjamin I. Nwankwo and Secretary Chief Charles Edemuzo, the Union described recent pushback by Islamic authorities against calls to repeal Sharia criminal law as a sign that the Nigerian state, in its current configuration, is no longer sustainable.

“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 Union argued that Northern leaders must make a choice: “Either fully embrace an egalitarian common law society where all Nigerians are equal under the law, or be allowed to exist as an exclusive Islamic enclave—legitimate, sovereign, and separate if they so choose, much like the United Arab Emirates.”

The statement also highlighted the potential consequences of inaction, warning that failure to resolve the Sharia crisis could lead to fragmentation. “The nation now faces two stark outcomes: a peaceful referendum establishing a safe-haven in the East for persecuted Judeo-Christian citizens, or violence and inevitable fragmentation—a reality no one desires but which history will enforce if the government continues to ignore the structural fault lines,” it said.

NDI Igbo Worldwide Union referenced past atrocities as evidence of the urgency for action. “As the Nigeria Jihadists makes no apology for the public lynching of a college student—Deborah Samuel, the kidnapping and forcible slavery of Leah Sharibu, and several others, the safety, survival, and future of Ndi Igbo and all persecuted Nigerians demand clarity,” the statement read.

The Union further called on the National Assembly to take decisive action. “Lawmakers can either remove Sharia from the Constitution and preserve peace, or they can ignore the writing on the wall and preside over a fracture of the Nigerian state. There is no middle ground,” it warned.

President Benjamin I. Nwankwo told reporters, “Nigeria has a choice. The clock is ticking. History will remember who acted—and who failed.” He described the current situation as a structural fault line threatening the nation’s cohesion and urged immediate legislative and societal responses.

Secretary Chief Charles Edemuzo added, “This is not a threat—it is a historical inevitability. We are not asking for confrontation; we are demanding clarity and equality under the law. The safety of Ndi Igbo and all persecuted citizens must be guaranteed.”

The Union also cited international historical precedents to support its call for a safe haven in Eastern Nigeria. “History offers clear lessons,” the statement said. “England once guaranteed sanctuary for Protestants fleeing Catholic persecution in France. Biafra can serve as a modern-day sanctuary for all citizens fleeing oppression in Northern Nigeria.”