The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria has urged Kano State Government to execute the court judgment that found a singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, guilty of blasphemy, despite public outcry.
The council, in a statement by its Secretary General, Nafi’u Baba-Ahmad, in Kaduna on Tuesday, said executing the judgment would serve as a deterrent to others.
The Shari’ah council also berated those appealing for pardon of the convict, advising the state government not to be swayed by their antics.
The statement read, “The calls by some so-called human rights groups to pardon the culprit should not deter the state government from doing the right thing.
“This case is purely an Islamic affair, in consonance with the religion, culture and wishes of not only the people of Kano, but the majority of the population of Nigeria who are Muslims.
“The council further wishes to emphatically remind all Nigerians, especially the secular human rights groups that the judgement is in line with the Supreme Court judgement.”
The 22-year-old native of Sharifai, a metropolis in Kano, was sentenced to death by hanging on August 10, by an upper Sharia court in the state after he was found guilty of committing blasphemy in a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March.
The development had stirred outcries on social media, especially on Twitter, where many Nigerians expressed their annoyance.