Kano Musician Sentenced To Death For Blasphemy Appeals Sentence

Nigerian musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who was sentenced to death for blasphemy by a Shari’a court in Kano state, has appealed the sentence.

He was sentenced to death by hanging on August 10, after he was found guilty of committing blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad in a viral song.

After he was sentenced, he was given a grace period of 30 days to appeal the judgement, and he has done just that.

Yahaya Sharif’s counsel, Kola Alanipini, in a suit filed at the Kano State High Court on Thursday, September 3, has asked the court to set the judgement aside, TheCable reports.

This follows report Thursday morning that the copies of the judgement were handed to Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer.

Earlier on Thursday, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said Sharif-Aminu had been denied access to a lawyer.

Kano state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, had earlier vowed to sign the warrant of the death sentence passed on 22-year-old Yahaya Sharif-Aminu for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.

Ganduje applauded the judgment. Leaders of the Ulamahs, who represented the three major sects of Islam: Izalah, Tijjaniyya and Kadiriyya, also unanimously hailed the judgment.

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria recently urged the Kano state government to execute Yahaya Sharif-Aminu.appeal.