Ahmed Yerima: Christians in Zamfara benefited from Sharia law when I was governor

Ahmed Yerima, former governor of Zamfara, says Christians in the state benefited from Sharia law when he was in power.

Yerima said this on Tuesday when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’.

The former Zamfara governor had, in October 1999, introduced Sharia law in the state, after which several other states in the north followed suit.

When asked during the programme if he thinks the north is better with Sharia law, the former governor said “yes, during my time”.

“During my time, if you check records, president Obasanjo declared in his government, that Zamfara state is a crime-free state. They said the crime rate in Zamfara at that time was 0.2 percent,” he said.

“Sharia means justice, equity and fairness. Ask the Christians in Zamfara, they’ll tell you that at that time, they were better off.

“Recently when I declared in Abuja, the chairperson, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Zamfara, was there. And he told Nigerians what kind of benefits the Christians had. There was social justice, and there was development.”

Yerima, in a recent interview with journalists, had said he introduced Sharia law in Zamfara in line with the constitution on the freedom of religion.

On perceptions of him as a religious extremist, Yerima said he will fight the problem of ignorance and also ensure that whatever he does is in line with the constitution.

“I have never, never required or asked or forced any Christian to follow Islamic faith because I would have done an unconstitutional act.,” he had said.