The Ndi Igbo Worldwide Union has again warned the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and Northern Islamic leadership that Nigeria is facing what it described as its “ultimate test” over the continued coexistence of Sharia law alongside the country’s common law system.

The Union referenced past incidents of religiously motivated violence and insecurity, insisting that the safety and future of Ndi Igbo and other Nigerians must be guaranteed through clear constitutional protections.

In a statement by its President, Benjamin Nwankwo, the Union said that recent resistance by Islamic authorities to calls to repeal Sharia criminal law reflects deeper structural challenges threatening Nigeria’s unity and long-term sustainability.

Nwankwo said that Nigeria cannot continue to operate two parallel legal systems without confronting the constitutional and societal implications.

He said: “The time for ambiguity is over, Nigeria cannot continue to pretend that a common law society can function alongside a full-blown religious legal system. Two legal codes cannot coexist in a serious, modern nation.

“Either fully embrace an egalitarian common law society where all Nigerians are equal under the law, or be allowed to exist as an exclusive Islamic enclave, legitimate, sovereign, and separate if they so choose, much like the United Arab Emirates.”

Nwankwo noted that Nigeria now stands at a crossroads, facing what he described as two possible outcomes: a peaceful constitutional resolution through dialogue and a referendum, or escalating tensions that could lead to national fragmentation.

He added, “The nation now faces two stark outcomes: a peaceful referendum establishing a safe-haven in the East for persecuted Judeo-Christian citizens, or violence and inevitable fragmentation, a reality no one desires but which history will enforce if the government continues to ignore the structural fault lines.

“As the Nigerian Jihadists make no apology for the public lynching of a college student, Deborah Samuel, the kidnapping and forcible slavery of Leah Sharibu, and several others, the safety, survival, and future of Ndi Igbo and all persecuted Nigerians demand clarity.”

Calling on lawmakers to act decisively, the Union urged the National Assembly to address what it termed constitutional contradictions surrounding the application of Sharia law.

The union added that, “Lawmakers can either remove Sharia from the Constitution and preserve peace, or they can ignore the writing on the wall and preside over a fracture of the Nigerian state. There is no middle ground. Nigeria has a choice. The clock is ticking. History will remember who acted, and who failed.”

He described the current situation as a structural fault line threatening the nation’s cohesion and urged immediate legislative and societal responses.

Also speaking, the Union’s Secretary, Chief Charles Edemuzo, said the group’s position should not be interpreted as a threat but as a demand for equality and protection of citizens’ rights.

Edemuzo said: “This is not a threat, it is a historical inevitability. We are not asking for confrontation; we are demanding clarity and equality under the law. The safety of Ndi Igbo and all persecuted citizens must be guaranteed.

“History offers clear lessons. England once guaranteed sanctuary for Protestants fleeing Catholic persecution in France. Biafra can serve as a modern-day sanctuary for all citizens fleeing oppression in Northern Nigeria.”