I have been following arguments on social media for the past two days about the death sentence passed on one Yahaya Aminu Sheriff for blasphemy (insulting prophet Mohammed PBH) at Kano.

Let me make few observations here:

1. There is actually a Shariah Penal Code law in Kano state
2. The said Shariah Penal Code makes provision for offences and punishments recognized in Islam
3. The Shariah Penal Code Law prohibits blasphemy and a violator risks death sentence. See section section 382 thereof.
4. The Shariah Penal Code Law of Kano applies to Muslims only
5. The Shariah Penal Code Law of Kano does not apply to non Muslims. So a Christian or any other non Muslim cannot be prosecuted under the law except if he consents to it
6. Sheriff was tried and convicted under the Shariah Penal Code Law because he was a Muslim.
7. Sheriff has the right to appeal to a higher court for his conviction to be reviewed or set aside if the trial court was wrong.
8. Governor of Kano State has the final say on Sheriff’s conviction. He can pardon Sheriff and allow him go free or change the punishment or sign death warrant for Sheriff to be executed/killed as ordered by court
9. A non Muslim who insults prophet Mohammed or commits any other form of blasphemy can at best be tried under the general Penal Code law for defamation or breach of public peace or any other related offence depending on exactly what the person says

In view of the foregoing, I will completely refrain from commenting on the appropriateness of death sentence for blasphemy because it is an Islamic injunction entrenched in a written law. Besides, I may not even be objective about it because I am not a Muslim, but a Christian. I will only end up pouring my sentiment in the guise of criticism. To me, is not even logical to use my religion to condemn another religion.

I submit further, for the purpose of emphasis, that the offence of blasphemy applies to Muslims only and they are in support of it. They are comfortable with it because their religion provides for it. I cannot take panadol for somebody’s headache (if it is to be called a headache in the first place since they are not even complaining in the first place)

Had it been the offence applies to non Muslims also, I would have immediately condemned it for being unconstitutional.

It should be noted that the Shariah Penal Code was enacted pursuant to section 38 of the constitution which provides for right to freedom of religion and sections 4 and 6 of the constitution which gives states power to make laws and also establish courts for themselves and also section 36(12) which provides that person can be convicted for an offence only if the said offence is defined in a written law with sanctions attached.

That is to say, the Supreme Law of the land has given them backing. They can practice their religion provided that a non Muslim shall not be affected

Let me drop my pen here. Everything I put down here is strictly my opinion and I may be wrong.

Such a sad moment for her fiancé know as Loveday. shares a heartbroken message to his fan on Instagram

Few days after a Kano Sharia court sentenced a man to death by hanging for committing blasphemy, another Shariah Court has sentenced one Mati Abdu, 60 years old, to death by stoning for raping a minor.

The Upper Sharia Court is situated at Kofar Kudu near the Emir of Kano’s palace. Mati was arrested by the Police in 2019 after an alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl during at Farsa Village in Tsanyawa local government area of the state.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Ibrahim Sarki Yola, after hearing from witnesses and the suspect, sentenced him to death by stoning because he was married. Public Relations Officer of Kano Courts, Mr Baba Jibo, confirmed the judgement to reporters on Wednesday evening.

According to him, the prosecuting counsel, Barrister Badariyya, tendered all the evidence before the court. Mr Baba Jibo said the convict confessed to have committed the crime.

Kaduna State High Court of Justice, has fixed Tuesday 29th September, 2020 for judgement on the motion put forward by leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky.

Zakzaky had asked the court for the dismissal of the case against him and his wife by the government over failure to produce evidence against them.

This is coming after the counsel to Sheikh Zakzaky defended their motion while the government’s counsel made a counter motion when the court sat on Friday 7th August.

Sheikh Zakzaky’s Lead Counsel, Femi Falana SAN wanted the court to dismiss the charges against his clients because they are devoid of any merit and will not stand before any court of law. Adding that, the charges are also abuse of court process.

He said that the Sheikh was charged with abetting commission of various offences, but those charged with committing those offences have been discharged and acquitted by the Kaduna State High Court. As such abetment can not stand.

Though the followers of the Sheikh were not comfortable with the date fixed for the judgment, but reporters were made to understand that it was due to the annual leave of Judges commencing next week.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Gideon Kurada adjourned for ruling, after counsel to the defendant, Abubakar Marshall, who held briefs for Femi Falana, had asked the court to quash the charges against El-Zakzaky by the government for not “disclosing an offence known to law contrary to Section 36 (8) and (12) of the 1999 constitution as amended”.

The Prosecution Counsel, Dari Bayero had earlier adopted his final arguments on the matter.

The IMN leader and his wife Zeenat are standing trial on allegations of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace, among other charges.

Marshall who spoke to reporters shortly after the adjournment said he prayed the court to dismiss the case for lack of evidence, devoid of any merit and could not stand before any court of law.

“We prayed the Court to dismiss the charges because they are devoid of any merit and will not stand before any court of law,’’ Marshall said.

He said the third and fourth defendants in the case also charged with committing the offence had been discharged and acquitted by another Kaduna State High Court.

Ayodele Fayose, a former Governor of Ekiti State has taken a dig at Chief Olusegun Obasanjo over his letter on the late Senator, Buruji Kashamu.

On his twitter handle, Fayose wrote:

I also condemn the statement made by former President Obasanjo on his (Kashamu) death.

“It is regrettable that Obasanjo could say what he said about Buruji Kashamu after his death and when he can no longer question him. Why didn’t he say that when Kashamu was alive?” he said.

Fayose wrote on Obasanjo: Can he say in good conscience that he did not at some point collaborated with Kashamu and most of the things he (Kashamu) did politically were not with his collaboration?”

Obasanjo, in a condolence letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun, wrote: 

“Senator Buruji Kashamu in his lifetime used the maneuver of law and politics to escape from facing justice on alleged criminal offences in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.”

The feud between Obasanjo and Kashamu over the leadership of the PDP in the South West was, according to The Cable, quite pronounced in 2013 when Obasanjo criticised the PDP leadership for retaining Kashamu as a leader of the party in the region.

Here is the letter Obasanjo wrote to late Buruji Kashamu

The report has it further: “He described the deceased as a drug baron who will buy candidates, parties and eventually buy power.

An Upper Sharia Court sitting in Kano has sentenced a 22-year old singer, Yahaya Aminu Sharif, to death by hanging for blaspheming against Prophet Muhammad.

According to reports, the judge, Khadi Aliyu Muhammad Kani, gave the verdict today August 10 after finding Yahaya Aminu Sharif guilty as charged.

Mr. Sharif who is a member of the Islamic Tijjaniya sect and Faidha group, composed a song blaspheming Prophet Mohammed and circulated it via WhatsApp in March 2020. Residents of the state got angry when they heard the song and started a protest. They burnt down the singer’s family home and led a procession to the Kano Hisbah Command’s headquarters demanding that he must be tried.

After several days in the court, the Judge found him guilty and sentenced him to death by hanging. He has 30 days to appeal the judgment.

Adama Indimi, daughter of Billionaire and Oil Magnate, Mohammed Indimi, is getting married to billionaire Kogi prince, Malik Ado-Ibrahim, the founder of Bicernergy. Malik is the heir to the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.

Their marriage rites kicked off with the Henan night which held in Maiduguri, Borno state on Friday night, August 7. The Nikkai will take place by 10am today Saturday, August 8.

Mr. Danlami Shamaki, the proprietor of New Edition Nursery and primary school as well as Winners Comprehensive High School in Jalingo, Taraba State’s capital was shot dead by unknown gunmen on Sunday August 9.

The deceased was returning from Abuja where he went for a meeting before being ambushed alongside his driver and aide. They reportedly ran into a group of armed men between Danacha and Sabongida village in Gassol local government area of Taraba state.

The gunmen reportedly used a water truck to block the road which forced his driver to maneuver past it. However after Shamaki ordered his driver to stop in order to show sympathy and also check if the truck pusher was hurt, the armed men opened fire targeting the proprietor only.

The school proprietor’s corpse has been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo.

Libyan arms dealers suppling arms & ammunition to bandits terrorising Nigeria NorthWest and Nirrhcentral regions were today intercepted by the security forces of Niger Republic before they crossed into Nigeria territory. Four killed while one of them(arrowed in the picture) was caught & arrested

Apart from the bandits, Nigeria is also battling Boko Haram insurgency in its northeast region

According to the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), Boko Haram, which has its roots in Nigeria, poses a potential danger to Nigeria’s neighbours should its influence spread beyond the country’s borders.

The risks presented by the militant group are amplified primarily through the prevalence of porous borders in the West African sub-region. Countries like Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger are all potential targets due to their proximity to Nigeria, their demographics and their socio-economic realities. At greatest risk are Cameroon and Niger, which share considerably vast borders with Nigeria.

Nigeria’s borders with Benin and Chad, ISS said are fairly short – 773km and 87km long respectively. In comparison, Nigeria’s borders with Niger and Cameroon span 1 497km and 1 690km respectively

The vulnerable nature of these borders heightens the potential spread of terrorist activities into the neighbouring countries.

“Their vulnerability to the spread of Boko Haram is compounded by the fact that Niger and Cameroon have borders with the northern Nigerian states, where Boko Haram already exerts a strong influence,” ISS said in an article.

The border with Niger, for example, stretches along Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa and Yobe states. This proximity to northern Nigeria is, therefore, a particular threat to Niger’s already fragile security, given the relative ease with which terrorist elements can cross into the country.

Cameroon faces a smaller risk than Niger as only two of the four Nigerian states – Taraba and Adamawa states – bordering Cameroon is part of northern Nigeria, while Cross Rivers and Benue states are in the south-eastern and middle eastern regions of Nigeria.

Over the years, there has been a huge effect of the presence of Boko Haram within these countries which continues to pose a security risk to the safety of the people’s lives and their properties

ShopRite Nigeria has debunked the story making the rounds that it intends to close shop in Nigeria.

The Country Director for Chastex Consult, Ini Archibong, in a telephone conversation with Vanguard,: “Shoprite is not leaving Nigeria.

We have only just opened to Nigerian investors which we have also been talking to just before now. We are not leaving, who leaves over a $30billion investment and close shop? It doesn’t sound right

We only just given this opportunity to Nigeria investors to come in and also help drive our expansion plan in Nigeria. So we are not leaving.

“I have tried to say this as too many people as I can. There should be no panic at all and all of that. There is no truth in that report.”

Recall that reports have been circulating that the retail outlet has started a formal process to consider the potential sale of all or a majority of stake in its supermarkets in Nigeria.

The report said the retailer had struggled in the Nigeria market after some South African owned retailer shops exited the Nigeria market.

The report further stated that Shoprite results for the year do not reflect any of their operations in Nigeria as it will be classified as a discontinued operation.

The report also said international markets excluding Nigeria contributed 11.6 per cent to the group sales and reported 1.4 per cent decline in sales from 2018.

South African operations contributed 78 per cent of the overall sales and saw 8.7 per cent rise for the years.

The report went further to say that as a result of the lockdown, customers’ visits declined 7.4 per cent but the average basket spends increased by 18.4 per cent.