Blasphemy: I’ll sign death warrant after 30 days- Ganduje
The Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, says he will sign the death warrant on a Kano-based singer, Yahaya Sharif, who was sentenced to death by an Upper Shariah Court for blasphemy.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting on the issue at the Government House, Kano, Ganduje noted that the convict had a 30-day grace to appeal the judgement, adding that if by the end of the 30 days the convict had not appealed, he would not waste time to sign the execution order.
He said, “Kano State Government has accepted the judgement passed by the Sharia Court and it has also accepted the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“In the event the convict appeals the judgement, we shall wait and follow the case up to the Appeal Court. If he further appeals to the Supreme Court, we shall follow the case there. If the Supreme Court upholds the two lower court judgements, the governor of Kano State will not add one minute to sign the execution order,” he said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Amnesty International, and other Local and International organizations have condemned the death sentence which was announced on August 10.
22-year-old Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by an Upper Shariah Court for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a song he circulated on the messaging platform WhatsApp in March.