Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje says he will sign the execution warrant of a 30-year-old man Yahaya Sharif-Aminu sentenced to death by hanging by an Upper Shari’a Court in the state.
Mr Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by the court after his conviction of blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad under Section 382 (b) of the Kano State Penal Code Law 2000.
Speaking at a special stakeholders forum on Thursday in Kano, Ganduje said he would not hesitate to sign the execution order at the expiration of the 30-day grace if the convict failed to appeal the judgment.
He said: “If the 30 days elapsed and the convict has not appealed, and there is no evidence that he has appealed, I will not waste time in signing the warrant for the execution of the man who blasphemed.
“Lawyers just told us that the case could go up to the Supreme Court. If that happens, I will wait for the final verdict.”
The meeting was attended by the Kano police commissioner Habu Ahmad, heads of security agencies, Islamic clerics and representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Some Islamic clerics who made remarks at the forum supported the governor’s stance, describing it as the only possible measure to avert a recurrence.
They urged the governor to do the right thing and not be distracted by activities of human right organisations.
Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Kano chapter Aminu Gadanya said the association was in support of the judgement “in view of the fact that the trial was based on the provisions of the law”.
Chairman, Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) Muhammad Garba said the association was equally in support of the governor’s position.
“The court convicted the man under Section 382 (b) of the Kano state Penal Code Law 2000; even the Supreme Court had upheld such penalties in the past,” he said.
On his part, the Controller, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) in Kano State Ahmad Magaji said the convict was in its custody, adding that no lawyer had so far indicated interest in appealing the judgement.
Sharif-Aminu was on August 10 sentenced to death by hanging after being accused of circulating blasphemous remarks through a song via WhatsApp in March.
