A Kaduna State High Court on Tuesday declared the controversial Religious Regulatory Bill passed by the Kaduna State House of Assembly which was aimed at regulating and controlling religious activities in the state as illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.
The court presided over by Justice D. Gwadah ruled that the Bill is a gross violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which guarantees freedom of association and freedom of religion.
The judge specifically ruled that the Bill is inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and therefore declared it illegal, null and void and of no effect.
In the ruling, Justice Gwadah also berated the actions of the Kaduna State House of Assembly in proceeding to pass the bill in spite of the fact that a suit against the bill was before a court with a subsisting court injunction restraining the action of the State legislature, stressing that the action is an affront to the court.
The trial judge declared that Regulatory Bill is a gross violation of the fundamental human rights, which guarantees freedom of association and freedom of religion.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Kaduna chapter had since 2016 instituted a case against Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, the State House of Assembly and the Attorney General of Kaduna State over the Religious Regulatory Bill.
PFN had challenged the plan by the Kaduna State Government to issue licences to its pastors using the controversial and unpopular Religious Bill.
