Outrage greets death sentence on Kano musician for blasphemy

Human rights groups and activists on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, reacted angrily to the decision of an Upper Sharia Court in Kano State, which sentenced a musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, to death for blaspheming Prophet Mohammed.

The organisations, in separate interviews with The Punch, described the penalty as anti-poor and wondered how many corrupt politicians had been convicted by Sharia courts in the country.

But the Kano State Hisbah Board told The Punch that it supported the death penalty for Sharif-Aminu.

Sharif-Aminu, aged 22, was on Monday sentenced to death for committing blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed in a song he circulated via WhatsApp.

He was accused of committing the offence in March 2020 after which protesters burnt down his family house.

The Corps Commander General of the state Hisba Board, Dr Sani Ibn-Sina, in an interview with The Punch on Tuesday, said, “As an organisation charged with the responsibility of enforcing Sharia, we are in support of the court verdict because anybody who does what he did deserves to be killed. That is what the law says.”

He said it was the Hisba board that stopped many aggrieved Kano residents that stormed its premises in protest against Sharif-Aminu’s action from taking the law into their own hands.

He stated, “We were in the forefront of ensuring that the matter was thoroughly investigated to the extent of inviting his father who even said he could execute whatever Sharia says on the convict (his son).

“So the judgment was based on Sharia and we are in support of it (the court verdict),” he said.

It is unconstitutional – Adegboruwa

But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, said the judgment was unconstitutional and would be set aside on appeal.

Adegboruwa, in an interview with The PUNCH, said, “I think obviously the Kano court erred substantially in law. If a man expresses his view through WhatsApp concerning any matter whatsoever, the worst that can happen to that man is to institute an action against him for libel. The judgment is a violation of the fundamental rights of that man, which I am sure will be quashed on appeal.

“Number two, death sentence is becoming unpopular worldwide because of the fact that it does not serve the purpose of deterrence. Those offences that carry death sentence, such as murder, armed robbery, treasonable felony, they still keep happening. So, the new thinking is to reform people instead of an eye for an eye, which is the old law of Moses.”

CSOs kick, say death sentence on Kano musician repulsive

Civil rights groups expressed anger over the death sentence. The Convener, Free Nigeria Coalition, Raphael Adebayo, described the development as an assault on state power which he said threatened the legitimacy of Nigeria’s union as a democratic republic.

He said, “Since when did it become okay to murder ordinary people in this country simply because of what they utter or write? It would seem that there is one law for the rich and another one for the poor.

“It is simply unacceptable and this barbarism presents an opportunity for the incumbent government at the federal level to redeem its soul by demonstrating its value for the average Nigerian life, and the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution, above all else.”

Another group, Concerned Nigerians, opposed the judgment, describing it as repulsive to natural justice and abhorrent to equity, good conscience and a gross violation of the convict’s rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and expression.

The group in a statement on Tuesday by its spokesman, Theophilus Agada, stated, “We condemn in strong terms, the death sentence by hanging on a Kano-based artiste, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu.”

It further argued that the death penalty was a violation of the rights to freedom of thoughts and expression of the citizen, pointing out that the injustices faced by both religious and non-religious people alike must stop.

“The arrest and detention of Yahaya is a breach of Section 38 of our constitution which states that ‘every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance,” it stated.

Death penalty for blasphemy sets social media on fire

Also, the story trended on Twitter under several hashtags including #Sharia #Kano #blasphemy #Ganduje #Bashir and #YorubaMuslims.

A large section of Nigerians wondered why the Kano State Government was bent on ensuring that blasphemers were killed while those who looted the public treasury were allowed to go scot-free.

Activist and Co-Convener, Bring Back Our Girls, Aisha Yesufu, wondered why those supporting the killing of blasphemers were silent when a video went viral showing Governor Umar Ganduje allegedly stuffing his babariga with dollars.

Nigeria’s Sharia courts corruption infested – Aisha Yesufu

Yesufu tweeted, “Can someone please tell me how many rapists have been sentenced to death by Sharia courts in Nigeria? Or how many corrupt politicians have been sentenced to death?

“The same Sharia courts that have professional witnesses in front of their doors that one can hire? The corruption infested Sharia courts that operate in Nigeria? If Sharia courts and the judges practise Sharia laws as they should, even non-Muslims will bring their cases there!”

Buhari’s aide under fire

However, the debate took an interesting turn when an old tweet by the President’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, supporting death penalty for blasphemy resurfaced on Twitter, attracting over 22,000 tweets.

Ahmad in the tweet dated July 1, 2015 supported the death sentence on nine people who described Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese founder of the Tijaniya sect, as being greater than Prophet Mohammed.

At the time, some Nigerians on Twitter campaigned for the discharge of the nine convicts with the #SaveKanoNine.

But the President’s aide had a different opinion.

He tweeted, “I can’t pretend or keep silent. I support the death penalty for blasphemy. That’s my belief and I do not and will never support #SaveKanoNine.”

The Convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, said he was sure that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), also supported the death penalty for blasphemy.

“This is a Presidential aide. I am sure Buhari feels the same way. I feel sorry for this country,” Adeyanju tweeted.

Another respondent, Igwe Skyochi tweeted, “Bashir Ahmad, just know this today that the only good and bad news you can ever get which is similar to both is: ‘Nothing lasts forever!'"

A writer, Elnathan John @elnathan_john, wrote, “Just join Boko Haram and save us the trouble. No difference. This one na just capitalist Boko Haram.”

About 12 states in northern Nigeria operate the Sharia system of justice.

The Sharia system, which also has its own Court of Appeal, handles both civil and criminal matters involving Muslims and its judgements can also be challenged in Nigeria’s secular Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

Sentences handed down by the courts usually include floggings in cases of adultery, amputations for theft and the death penalty for blasphemy.

The Punch gathered on Monday that the Kano State Government would not intervene in the judgment of the Upper Sharia Court which sentenced Sharif to death.

A source closed to the state government, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told one of correspondents, that the state government would never interfere with the judgment.

“No responsible Muslim in a Sharia state like Kano will not support the judgment. So to cut it short, no Muslim will support what the convict (Yahaya Sharif) did,” the source said.