Blasphemy: Prison authorities denied lawyers access to musician – NBA
The National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Ralpulchukwu Nduka has said that authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service denied lawyers from accessing Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, the musician who was sentenced to death for blaspheming Prophet Mohammed.
In a statement on Thursday, September 3, the association explained that they were not allowed to see the convict on getting to the prison in Kano State.
Daily Times recalls that Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death on August 10, 2020, and was given 30 days by the court to appeal the judgment, meaning that the time would lapse on Wednesday, September 9.
According to the Statement, “The President of the Nigerian Bar Association – Mr. Olumide Akpata, in response to the allegations on the social media by Nigerians and calls by members of the Nigerian Bar Association on the Federal Correctional Centre, Kano to allow Yahaya Sharif-Aminu have access to his lawyers, set up a two-man Fact-Finding Committee made up of the NBA 1st Vice President – Mr. John Aikpokpo-Martins and the National Welfare Secretary – Mr. Kunle Edun. The committee was mandated to urgently embark on a fact-finding mission to the Federal Correctional Centre in Kano.
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“On September 2, 2020, the 1st Vice President and the National Welfare Secretary visited the said Correctional Centre and sought audience with the Controller of the Correctional Centre.
“At the Correctional Centre, the NBA National Officers were informed that the Controller of the Correctional Centre was not available. They were granted an audience by the second in command.
“The NBA national officers informed the said second in command about their mission at the Federal Correctional Centre, Kano. They requested to see Yahaya Sharif-Aminu in order to ascertain the veracity of the allegation that lawyers were not allowed to gain access to him.
“The said second in command informed the said national officers that he does not have the authority to grant the access sought, but would seek the permission of his boss, the Controller (who was not available as at the time of the visit) before allowing the National Officers access to Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. The afore-mentioned national officers were eventually denied access to Yahaya Sharif even after the said second in command made the call to his superior.”
“However, the said national officers were able to confirm that Yahaya Sharif-Aminu has been denied access to any lawyer since his conviction. They were further informed that Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was not represented by a lawyer during the trial at the Upper Sharia Court,” the NBA said.
Daily Times reports that Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, has appealed the judgment.
In a suit filed on Thursday at the Kano State High Court by his lawyer, Kola Alapini, Sharif-Aminu said he is dissatisfied with the judgment of the Shari’a Court.
He described the Kano State Penal Law 2000 as unconstitutional, null and void, having grossly violated and conflicted with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended and having violated the Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights respectively.
