YAHAYA Sharif-Aminu, the Kano musician that was sentenced to death last month for blasphemy has appealed the death sentence.
The ICIR reported how Sharif was sentenced to death by hanging by the Upper Shari’a Court in Kano after he was found guilty of committing blasphemy in a song against Prophet Muhammad.
According to theCable, Sharif’s counsel, Kola Alanipini, in a suit filed at the Kano State High Court on Thursday, has asked the court to set the judgement aside.
This follows report Thursday morning that the copies of the judgement were handed to Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer.
Sharif was sentenced to death by hanging on August 10 with a grace of 30 days for him to appeal the judgement.
While the sentence had generated public outcry, Abdullahi Ganduje, the Governor of Kano State said the State Government had accepted the death penalty and would not waste time to sign the verdict in 30 days.
This was as the Supreme Council for Shari’a in Nigeria also urged Kano State Government to ensure the execution of the verdict.
John Aikpokpo-Martins, first Vice President of the NBA, stated who disclosed this during a fact-finding mission to Kano, lamented that Sharif has not been given access to a lawyer of his choice as the window to appeal the judgement draws to an end.
The Amnesty International, an international Civil Society Organisation had lamented that the Upper Shariah Court in Kano that sentenced Shariff to death has refused to provide lawyers with a copy of the judgement.
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