Shariah council cautions against Nigeria’s involvement in Middle East crisis

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Shariah council cautions against Nigeria’s involvement in Middle East crisis

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has cautioned the Federal Government against deepening diplomatic or security ties with Israel.

In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, the Council warned that Nigeria must not become a proxy in the ongoing Israel–Palestine conflict.

The Council also condemned the recent Nigeria–Israel political consultations held in Abuja, describing the meeting as “a grave departure from Nigeria’s principled foreign policy, a dangerous compromise of our national integrity, and an affront to the conscience of the Nigerian people.”

The meeting, hosted by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu-Odumegwu, and attended by Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel-Harpaz, reportedly covered multiple sectors including agriculture, ICT, and education and also discussions on security cooperation, intelligence sharing, and counter-terrorism.

The Council expressed outrage at the inclusion of security talks and stated that to explore security cooperation with such a state “is a contradiction that risks rendering Nigeria’s voice on global justice hollow and hypocritical.”

The Council described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “one of the most catastrophic against humanity in modern times,” citing over 70,000 Palestinian deaths and 160,000 injuries since October 2023.

The statement partly read: “Nigeria’s long-standing foreign policy has been one of justice, liberation, and non-alignment with oppressors.

“To seek security cooperation from a state committing genocide is a perilous paradox.”

The Council urged President Tinubu’s administration to “correct this diplomatic misstep” and reaffirm Nigeria’s historic solidarity with Palestine.

“Nigeria must continue to project our nation as a beacon of justice and moral authority,” it added.

The statement also called for all Nigerians and the global community to stand firm in demanding justice for Palestine.