Nigeria, a nation deeply entrenched in religious fervour, witnesses an ongoing battle for supremacy among various faiths. Despite lacking a constitutional declaration as a secular state, religious dominance remains a contentious issue within the country.
In a recent incident, Islamic clerics paid a visit to an Osun traditional priestess, causing quite a stir. The visitors hailed from Majlisu Shabab-l-Ulamah Society, a Muslim group, claiming they were sent by Dr. Sulu-Gambari, the Emir of Ilorin, to caution the priestess against organizing the upcoming Egbe festival from July 22 to July 24, 2023, at Secondary School Road, Oke Andi in Ilorin.
This incident caught the attention of two lawyers with similar views. Morakinyo Olasupo, a rights lawyer based in the UK, criticized the clerics for trampling upon the priestess’s freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as guaranteed by Chapter 4, Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution. He argued that their actions could lead to legal consequences and emphasized that the Emir lacked constitutional authority.
Olasupo also pointed out that the right to religion is not absolute, citing Section 45 of the constitution, which allows the state government to enact laws to preserve public safety in case of conflicts arising from religious practices.
“Their action can lead to legal injunction, it is wrong to have threatened anyone from practising their religion. The Emir they claim to have gotten directives from is not identified by the constitution.
“They are not law enforcement agents and should not carry out such actions,” he added.
Maintaining Olasupo’s stance, Inibehe Effiong, a senior lawyer specializing in Human Rights and Public Interest, argued that no religion should be associated exclusively with a particular state or society in Nigeria. He maintained that law enforcement agencies should determine if the festival would disturb public peace, rather than leaving it to public opinion, which may be biased.
Effiong emphasized that religious domination in a region does not invalidate the legality of other faiths practised there. He stressed that the right to freedom of religion extends to all religious adherents and that no religion should claim superiority over others. He further highlighted that the Nigerian constitution recognizes the diversity of religion, and the priestess has the right to practice her faith, which predates Islam and Christianity.
“The right to freedom of religion is not exclusive to Muslims or Christians. No religion was mentioned in the Constitution. It is not for adherents of other religions to determine which one is superior.
“Section 10 of the constitution makes it more clear that the government of the federation or state shall not recognise any religion as the state religion. So the section recognises two basic principles — a peculiarity of the Nigerian state and plurality of religion, so the priestess has the right to practise her religion, not leaving the fact that the African religion predates both Islam and Christianity.
“It is pure harassment to stop her; she should seek legal redress. The police should, given their threat, give them the security to manifest their faith,” Effiong noted.
On the other hand, Usman Jagunma, the Public Relations Officer of the Ilorin Emirate Development Union, clarified that the clerics’ intention was not to impede the priestess’s religious practices, but rather to discourage elaborate events that contradict the doctrines of the Ilorin community. He suggested that the festival could have been conducted in any part of Kwara State except for the core Ilorin local government areas, which are predominantly Muslim.
Jagunma acknowledged that the priestess had been practicing her religion in the area for years without obstruction but expressed concerns about the potential unrest arising from an elaborate event celebrating her deities. He emphasized the need to prevent a breakdown of law and order and called upon the state government to intervene in the matter.
This issue underscore the delicate nature of religious freedom and the complexities surrounding religious practices in Nigeria.
It is intriguing to observe the efforts made by the two lawyers to uphold the principles of religious equality as dictated by the Nigerian Constitution. However, one cannot help but ponder upon the veracity of the notion that no religion holds superiority over another in Nigeria, particularly in light of the ongoing religious conflicts that plague the nation. As a Nigerian, I am curious to hear your thoughts on this matter.
