Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has said that Yahaya Shariff-Aminu, a musician sentenced to death for a song deemed to be blasphemous against Prophet Mohammed, can appeal his judgement up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Ganduje said this when he spoke with journalists in Abuja following a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said that while the musician had appealed the judgment of the Sharia Council, the state was waiting for the decision of the court.
“He has already appealed. That process is going on and that process will continue up to the Supreme Court.
“For the time being, we are waiting for the judicial processes,” he said.
Ganduje also said the President has been put on notice but refused to disclose the position of Buhari on the matter.
Kano Governor, @GovUmarGanduje, Briefs President @MBuhari About Musician Sentenced To Death For Alleged Blasphemy Against Prophet Mohammed | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/reX7czKFEL pic.twitter.com/aD5jdKvNVe
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) September 23, 2020
Shariff-Aminu, 22, was sentenced by an upper Sharia court in Kano last August after he was found guilty of blasphemy for a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March.
The musician through his lawyer, Kola Alapinni, has appealed the death sentence.
Alapinni said the Kano State Penal Law 2000 was unconstitutional, null and void, having grossly violated and conflicted with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended and has violated the Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
