Falana drags Kano Govt, FG over death sentence issued to Kano singer, writes to African commission
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has written a petition to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, Gambia, to call on the Kano state Government and the federal Government over the death sentence issued to Kano singer, Sharif Yahaya Sharif.
In the petition dated 8th September 2020, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria asked the commission to exercise its mandates and authority under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and pursuant to the commission’s order 100(1) Rules of Procedure, 2020.
Falana insisted that Nigeria has deliberately and willfully disregarded the request by the African Commission to the effect that African countries, including Nigeria that still retain the death penalty, should fully comply with their obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and guarantee every person accused of capital punishment fair trial.
The petition read;
“I am writing to you on behalf of Sharif Yahya Sharif to ask the Commission to consider this request for provisional measures. The request is submitted in conjunction with our communication on behalf of Sharif Yahya Sharif convicted and sentenced to death for blasphemy in Kano State of Nigeria.
“When the petitioner informed the Court that he could not afford and secure the services of a lawyer to defend him, the Court ordered the Legal Aid Council to assign him a lawyer so that the petitioner could enjoy access to legal representation.
“However, the order was disobeyed by the Legal Aid Council. The Legal Aid Council is the body established by law to provide legal support to indigent citizens especially in cases involving death penalty.
“An appeal at the Kano State High Court against the conviction and death sentence imposed on the petitioner has been filed, but we submit that the petitioner will not enjoy a fair hearing, as he continues to face imminent execution by hanging.
“Nigeria is a state party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights but there is a growing crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and attack on the rule of law.”
Kudos to Falana for always standing for people who can not stand for themselves
God will bless you Sir
I don’t know much about how all these legal tussle work since I am a layman to it
All the same I pray that Falana helps with his vast knowledge to forestall and stop this killing
how can you kill some one just because of his song,it very wrong what is this country becoming.
May be it’s true, may be we dont know what we have untill we have lost it. But may be it’s also true that we don’t know what we are missing until we find it.for commissioner .
This law is too harsh, it should be amended Please
That is good, let him be Judge by his God for the comments he made
A great one from Femi Falana. I do not understand why the federal government will convict one with death sentence because of blasphemy in a religion.
I don’t know if Nigeria is now an Islamic country.
Am fully in support of falana, because when ganduje was catch with dollar Sharia low did not work on him
I thought that this matter is over they should just free this guy abeg
Thank you sir for that, I don’t know why people are just being wicked for nothing, sentencing an innocent man to death is an act of wickedness no wonder dey created boko haram in the the Northeast, this nonsense must stop if Nigeria must move forward
Haman right activist are one of the problems of this country. Even if it is a rapist that is been sentenced to death in this country, they will still clam and challenge the judgement.
Pardon to him instead of execution.
The Federal Government should forgive this singer, what is this thing that he sang that warranted him to be sentenced to death. They should pardon him joor the ones that have committed worst offense have not been killed they are still moving freely
The government should please temper justice with mercy
When you wrote a petition to African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, Gambia, to call on the Kano state Government and the federal Government over the death sentence issued to Kano singer, Sharif Yahaya Sharif. Are we not having shari’a law anymore? That’s one of the issue we are facing in this nation, if eventually this judgement is carried out, it will serve as deterrent to others.
Each religious should be granted to be using the law in their Holly book, if allowed the rate of which crime is being committed will reduce drastically if not totally eradicated. The twist in which our judges and lawyers use to twist the law is not encouraging, if someone still 10 billion he may escape justice at the end of the day but if still 5 thousand he will be sentenced then where is justice in this country. May God help us in this country.
I’m in support of falana.. I don’t see any reason why he should be sentence to death..he didn’t kill,why not banned the music instead
I think I’m in support of what Femi Falana said. I said it some months back that no state should practice Sheria in Nigeria untill Nigeria seat and join hand together. Because Sheria should be practice in all 36 state including federal capital.
Is so evil to sentence a man to death for blasphemy, Nigeria is a joke and the Islamic groups in this country are wicked an heartless