The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) has rejected calls by US lawmakers to abolish Sharia law in the country, describing the proposal as “misinformed” and an attempt to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.

Sharia law operates alongside statutory and customary law, primarily in 12 northern states, where it was formally adopted as a main framework for civil and criminal law in 1999. It provides a religious, moral, and legal framework for Muslim communities.

In a statement, SCSN Secretary General Nafiu Ahmad said Sharia is “a comprehensive way of life for Muslims and cannot be relinquished due to external pressure, misinformation, or political intimidation.”

“No power or authority can arrogantly make Muslims relinquish its practice in response to external pressure, misinformation, or political intimidation,” the council added.

The statement stressed that Sharia in Nigeria is protected by the constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and allows adherents to manage personal and family matters according to their faith.

SCSN also dismissed claims of a “Christian genocide” in the country, saying the assertion misrepresents Nigeria’s security challenges, which include terrorism, banditry, organised crime, and governance gaps.

“The government appears either indifferent or incapable of resolving the security problem which has claimed the lives of Muslims and Christians alike,” the statement said, noting that framing the violence as religious persecution is “inaccurate and unhelpful.”

The council added that Nigeria’s plural legal system and multi-religious society should be respected, and external interference in Sharia practice is both unwarranted and counterproductive.

The SCSN’s statement reinforces its position that Sharia remains an integral and constitutionally protected aspect of Muslim life in Nigeria, despite growing international scrutiny.

However, it has earlier been reported that US lawmakers probing allegations of persecution of Christians in Nigeria said the West African nation should repeal Sharia and anti-blasphemy laws to help counter growing extremist violence.

Other recommendations representatives from the House committees on appropriations and foreign affairs made in a report to the White House on Monday include agreeing a US–Nigeria security pact “to protect vulnerable Christian communities and dismantle jihadist networks,” West Virginia Republican Riley Moore, who led the investigation with appropriations committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, said in a statement.

They also proposed that the US withhold some funding until Nigeria’s government shows “demonstrable” action to stop the actions, as well as impose sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals supporting violence against Christians.

The US designated Nigeria a country of particular concern in October, citing concerns about the attacks on Christians.

It launched air strikes against what it said were terrorist positions in Nigeria’s northern state of Sokoto on Christmas Day and has since deployed about 100 soldiers and supplied military equipment to help the country fight terror groups.

The demand that Nigeria end Sharia law will trigger a strong push-back from the country’s Muslim community and raise religious sensitivities. As many as 12 states in the north have Sharia and anti-blasphemy laws in place.

“Blasphemy laws in Nigeria’s northern states are used to silence speech and dissent, target Christians and minorities, and justify so-called “convictions” without due process,” the US lawmakers said.

The Nigerian government didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.

Africa’s most populous nation has pushed back on US President Donald Trump’s claim that Christians are being targeted in the country and has shared data to dispute the assertion.

The country, with a population of about 230 million, is roughly split between Muslims and Christians and has long been plagued by ethnic violence over access to resources such as land and water, as well as terrorism from groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State, which continue to claim lives.
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The statement stressed that Sharia in Nigeria is protected by the constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and allows adherents to manage personal and family matters according to their faith.