A 22-year-old musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who was sentenced to death by an Upper Sharia Court in Kano State on August 10, 2020, for blasphemy has been denied access to lawyers.
However, the 30-day deadline given to him to appeal the judgment lapses on September 9.
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Recall Daily Times reported that a notice of appeal had yet to be filed in court even as the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed readiness to sign the convict’s death warrant once the 30-day deadline lapses.
Speaking with newsmen on Friday, a human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), said he had asked a lawyer to meet with Yahaya Sharif-Aminu but the lawyer was denied access by prison authorities.
He said, “I sent a lawyer to take up the case and meet with him (Sharif-Aminu), but he was denied access.”
Attempts to speak with the Spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Austin Njoku, proved abortive as he neither responded to repeated calls nor a text message on Friday.
The musician, who is a resident of Sharifai in Kano metropolis, was accused of committing blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed in a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March 2020. Irate youths burnt down his family home and led a protest to the Sharia Police, Hisbah, demanding Sharif Aminu’s death.
The musician, who went into hiding, was arrested, hurriedly tried and convicted for breaching Section 382 (b) of the Kano penal code of 2000 which is based on the Islamic law.
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