Blasphemy: How singer’s execution could set a bad precedent for Nigeria

On Friday, August 28, the ongoing narrative surrounding the death penalty against a musician in Kano state received another round of public outcry following the declaration by the Executive Governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, that he is set to sign off on the death sentence of the convicted musician.

Governor Ganduje’s resolution comes in the wake of the decision of the Kano Upper Shari’a Court sitting at Hausawa Filin Hockey, which sentenced 22-year-old Yahaya Sharif to death by hanging.

Mr. Sharif, a resident of Sharifai in Kano metropolis, was accused of committing blasphemy against the prophet of Islam in a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March 2020.

He was convicted based on Section 382 (b) of Kano penal code of 2000.

It would be needless to pontificate on the fact that many Nigerians have consequently cried foul over the court decision to snuff the life out of the young musician whose death sentence has echoed as the aftermath of a knife fight whose absence of rules has resonated negatively against the weak and defenseless in the society.

As the airwaves continue to buzz over this potentially tragic application of the law, Daily Times takes a look at how young Sharif’s execution could set a bad precedent for the country’s legal and socio-political space.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Blasphemy: I am ready to sign death warrant says Ganduje

In the build-up to Governor Ganduje’s resolution to sign off on Sharif’s execution, Nigerians have expressed mixed reactions to the musician’s action as well as the consequent death sentence. While some have held that regardless of the degree of young Sharif’s crime, he ought to have been given a second chance since God is fundamentally a God of mercy Who does not necessarily strike down all who err against him. Some have argued that the law remains sacrosanct and should be applied very swiftly due to the gravity of Sharif’s offense.

The Kano State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in its reaction had said the group has no objection since the ruling is in line with Islamic jurisprudence.

From a critical dimension, most of the arguments posited for and against the musician’s execution have been backed with substantial logic to a point where one cannot definitively pin-point which argument should hold sway. However, there remains a crucial dimension to this narrative; one which, if not squarely addressed, could smack our fragile commonalities as a people and set a regrettable precedent vis-a-vis our application of the law.

A big part of the argument against Sharif’s execution is that the application of Sharia Law in Nigeria has not always been consistent, with many arguing that only the nether regions of the society have been made to feel the big stick this law. In an opinion thread across various social media platforms, many Nigerians have considered it a paradox that the same public official who was caught on camera clandestinely stuffing foreign currency into his pockets is the same person wielding the sword that is going to strike young Sharif down forever.

In Nigeria, Sharia law has become widely embraced in certain segments of the north over the past two decades ever since it’s adoption by Zamfara state in the year 2000. To this end, no one can argue the legitimacy of its adoption. The problem, however, lies with its application, which is inconsistent at best, and this is not to mention the vagaries surrounding the interpretation of the law which seems nebulous at best.

Amid all the talks of economic downturn and pervasive corruption in the country, Nigeria could be headed towards another regrettable political quagmire should Sharif be made to face the ultimate price for his crime; especially with regard to future applications of the Sharia Law which will without a fraction of a doubt witness further violations as time continues to decline. Nigerians as we know, have a very long memory and will in due course have greater cause to question the consistency and application of a law that has not always been applied with the utmost probity. As a result, young Sharif’s execution could end up occasioning as an undesirable precedent in every sense of the expression.

The reactions of Nigerians as embedded below may adequately provide a clearer context as to how this precedent could resonate should young Sharif be made to face the music for blasphemy as convicted.