A musician has been sentenced to death by an Islamic court in north Nigeria for blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad in a song he circulated on WhatsApp. Yahaya Aminu Sharif, 22, a resident of Kano city in the state capital Kano, was handed the death sentence on Monday. Baba-Jibo Ibrahim, spokesman for Kano region justice ministry, said: 'The court handed down the death sentence as enshrined in Islamic laws based on irrefutable evidence and the convict's admission of guilt.' Death sentences for blasphemy are unusual though courts have handed down death sentences for adultery, murder and homosexuality. The most recent death penalty for blasphemy was given in 2015 to nine followers of the Tijani Muslim sect, though these have also yet to take place.

Source: Daily Mail August 11, 2020 08:03 UTC