A legal firestorm is brewing in Ilorin following the filing of a cross-complaint at the Upper Area Court 3 by renowned Islamic scholar Dr. Sharafdeen Gbadebo Raji, against one Shaykh Abu Sheriff of Olowo Compound, Gambari Area, Ilorin.

The petition, filed through the law firm, Exact Sociates’, accuses Shaykh Abu Sheriff of defamation, injurious falsehood, and false criminal charges against Dr. Raji who is the Director of Al-Madeena Islamic Centre, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

The legal action is brought pursuant to Sections 392, 393, and 180 of the Penal Code Law of Kwara State.

In the complaint, Dr. Raji, a highly respected Islamic scholar, alleged that the respondent, Shaykh Abu, maliciously initiated a direct criminal complaint in Case No. UAC/IV/CRF/75/2025, containing “spurious, unfounded, and baseless allegations.”

The claim further states that the filing was done “with clear intent to mislead the Honourable Court and to tarnish the good name and reputation” of Dr. Raji.

The cross-complaint detailed three specific offenses including defamation, for making false statements alleged to have unjustly damaged Dr. Raji’s reputation; injurious falsehood, for the purported dissemination of false claims with the intent to harm; and false charge, for allegedly initiating a criminal complaint based on fabrications.

Dr. Raji, through his legal counsel led by Y.Y. Ajibade, Esq., urged the court to take immediate legal steps to address the alleged misuse of judicial process and protect his reputation.

Shaykh Abu Sheriff had filed a legal complaint against Dr Sharaff alleging defamation during a programme wherein the latter, in a question and answer session, requested participants to mention practices that are against Sharia in their localities.

He joined two indigenes of Ilorin, Adam AbdulRauf and Ibrahim Abbul Wasii who were part of the programme and claimed that ‘Oro’ festival, ‘Ijesu’ festival and burial grounds are worshipped in Ilorin.

Abu Sheriff maintained that the claim portrays the muslim community ‘as having engaged in practices that are clearly contrary to Islamic teachings.’