A Nigerian musician sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy has taken his case to the Supreme Court, calling for an end to blasphemy laws in the country.
Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was convicted by a sharia court in Kano state in 2020 after circulating song lyrics on WhatsApp that were deemed offensive. He was sentenced to death without legal representation. The conviction was later overturned on procedural grounds, but a retrial was ordered.
Sharif-Aminu’s lawyer, Kola Alapinni, has petitioned the Supreme Court to declare Kano state’s blasphemy law unconstitutional, arguing that the conviction violates Nigeria’s constitution and international human rights treaties. “No one should face execution for expressing their religious views,” he said, calling for his client’s release and the repeal of blasphemy laws.
Blasphemy laws remain in force in 12 northern Nigerian states governed by sharia. Both Muslims and Christians have been prosecuted, while others accused of blasphemy have been lynched by mobs before trial. One of the most widely known cases was that of Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a Christian student who was killed by fellow students in Sokoto in 2022.
International organisations have condemned such laws and incidents. The European Parliament has repeatedly called for Sharif-Aminu’s immediate release, warning that his health is failing and his family has faced harassment. Earlier this year, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice also ruled that parts of Kano’s penal code breach human rights standards and ordered Nigeria to amend or repeal them.
Advocates hope Nigeria’s Supreme Court will now take decisive action. “The justice system should protect peaceful expression of faith, not punish it with death,” said Sean Nelson of ADF International, expressing confidence that the ruling could set a precedent for greater religious freedom in Nigeria.
Adapted from CDI.
