Blasphemy: Kano Singer To Remain in Detention As Appeal Court Reserves Judgement

An appeal court sitting in Kano state has reserved judgement in the trial of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, the musician initially sentenced to death for blasphemy by a Shari’a court.

Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging on August 10, 2020, after he was found guilty of committing blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad in a song.

The Lawyer reported how his death sentence had stirred an outcry among a segment of Nigerians.

Despite public outcry, the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria asked the Kano state government to execute the court judgment.

The musician later challenged the judgement before the state high court.

Although the high court dismissed the death sentence, it denied the musician bail and ordered his re-trial before another Shari’a court judge.

But lawyers for the singer had kicked against the ruling and further appealed the verdict of the high court.

Aminu’s lawyer had argued that he ought to be released from detention and that his re-trial should not take place at another Shari’a court.

According to BBC, during the court proceeding on Thursday, Mohammed Sani Ahmed, counsel to the state, argued that the high court was right in its ruling and prayed the court to dismiss the singer’s appeal.

But Aminu’s legal team led by Kola Alapinni prayed to the appellate court to void the high court’s ruling and order the release of the musician.

After hearing arguments from both parties in the case, the court ruled that it will reserve its judgement until a yet-to-be-revealed date.

Reserved judgement occurs when the court decides it needs time to consider the facts and details of the case before drawing a verdict.

Speaking on the development, Ebuka Ikeorah, one of Aminu’s lawyers, said his team is optimistic that the musician would be released by the court.

“What this reserved judgement means is that the court would call us to deliver its verdict on the matter,” he said.

The court is expected to deliver its judgement on the matter within the next 90 days.