Court dismisses suit against Sharia

A high court in the northern Nigerian state of Zamfara has dismissed a suit filed by three Christians challenging the legality of the state government's decision to adopt strict Islamic law, 'The Guardian' daily reported on Friday. In dismissing the suit filed by Yunana Shibkau, Dr. Emman Shehu and Evangelist D. Ishaya, Justice Kulu Aliyu of the High Court in the state capital, Gusau, ruled that it was "an abuse of [the] judicial process", the paper said. Another reason he gave for dismissing the case was that the plaintiffs had already filed a similar suit in another Zamfara court. Zamfara adopted the Sharia last year. While officials say the law applies only to Muslims, Christians in the state have alleged that their constitutional rights are being violated by the application of the code.