The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately reverse the appointment of the newly inaugurated Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), over what it described as his “divisive and prejudiced” past writings.
The Council’s demand follows revelations that Prof. Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and legal scholar, authored a controversial legal brief in 2020 describing mass killings in Nigeria as “genocide” primarily targeting Christians and minority groups.
Amupitan’s 2020 Legal Brief
According to an exclusive report by SaharaReporters, Amupitan’s legal brief was published in a 2020 report titled “Nigeria’s Silent Slaughter” by the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), a global advocacy network promoting human rights and religious freedom.
In the document, titled “Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria – The Implications for the International Community,” Amupitan asserted that Nigeria was witnessing “crimes under international law, particularly crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.”
He wrote that “it is a notorious fact that there is perpetration of crimes under international law in Nigeria,” accusing the government of failing to prosecute offenders or protect minority citizens. The brief warned that Nigeria risked repeating “the Rwandan and Sudanese mistakes” if the world failed to intervene.
Amupitan identified Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen as perpetrators of widespread violence and displacement, accusing successive governments of neglecting their constitutional responsibility to ensure citizens’ security. He further described the victims of the crises as “mainly the Christian population and minority ethnic groups.”
The legal brief also traced the historical roots of Nigeria’s religious conflicts to the 19th-century jihad of Uthman Dan Fodio, which Amupitan described as “a full-blown Islamisation agenda” whose legacy, he claimed, continues to influence modern extremist movements.
Amupitan concluded by urging the United Nations and international powers to intervene, arguing that the Nigerian government’s inaction made foreign involvement “a moral and legal necessity.”
Shari’ah Council’s Reaction
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, November 7, 2025, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria expressed “deep disappointment and grave concern” over the revelations, calling Amupitan’s views “provocative, distorted and bigoted assertions” against Muslims in Northern Nigeria.
“If indeed Prof. Amupitan authored the said document, his submissions are not only unbecoming of a person of learning but dangerously inimical to the unity, peace, and stability of our country,” the Council said.
The SCSN argued that Amupitan’s characterisation of violence in the North as “Christian genocide” was inaccurate and “deeply divisive,” insisting that the region’s insecurity is multi-dimensional, affecting both Muslims and Christians.
“Credible humanitarian data from independent and international sources reveal that Muslims have suffered more casualties in these conflicts than any other group,” the Council claimed, citing violence across Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Yobe States where “over 90 percent of the victims are Muslims.”
The Council also condemned Amupitan’s linkage of modern insecurity to the 19th-century jihad of Sheikh Uthman Dan Fodio, calling it “a malicious distortion of history and a deliberate insult.”
“The jihad of Sheikh Uthman was not a war of hatred or extermination,” the statement read. “It was a spiritual, moral, and social reform movement that restored justice, knowledge, and governance rooted in ethics.”
Call for Removal and Appeal for Calm
The SCSN said Amupitan’s writings “call into serious question his ability to conduct free and fair elections in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic nation,” and urged President Tinubu to “immediately review and reverse his appointment.”
“Presiding over Nigeria’s electoral system demands the highest standards of neutrality, fairness, and inclusivity,” the Council said. “By his own words, Prof. Amupitan has demonstrated a deep-seated prejudice that undermines confidence in his impartiality.”
Despite its strong criticism, the Council appealed for calm among Nigerians across religious divides, urging unity against common national challenges.
“We urge all Nigerians, Muslims and Christians alike, to reject narratives that seek to pit one faith against another. Our common enemies are injustice, corruption, poverty, and insecurity,” the statement concluded.
