A human rights Civil Society Organisation, Concerned Nigerians, has slammed the death sentence judgement of an Upper Shari’a Court in Kano, against 22-year-old Yahaya Sharif-Aminu for blasphemy.
The group, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Theophilus Abu Agada, said everyone had the right to practice whatever religion one wanted.
It described the judgement as “repulsive to natural justice, equity and a good conscience and a gross violation of his rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and expression.”
The statement read in part, “We condemn in strong terms, the death sentence by hanging for a Kano-based artiste, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, for blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad.
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“The injustice faced by non-religious and even religious people in some parts of Nigeria is unbecoming. Every Nigerian, irrespective of their belief, should be allowed to practice whatever they believe without being arrested, detained, and sentenced to death.
“It is hypocritical on the part of the religious and political class to always hound vulnerable Nigerians on trivial matters while they commit the most heinous crimes against God and humanity.
“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 the 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.”
Yahaya was sentenced to death by hanging for singing a song which contained blasphemous content against Prophet Muhammed.
By Daniel Ojukwu
