Supreme Court Hears High-Profile WhatsApp Blasphemy Case

Wale WhalesNews2 months ago10 Views

Nigeria’s Supreme Court on Thursday held its first hearing in a high-profile blasphemy case that could have far-reaching implications for the application of sharia law in the country. Lawyers for the defendant hope the ruling will limit harsh punishments under sharia, including the death penalty for blasphemy and adultery.

The case involves Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim musician who was sentenced to death by a sharia court in Kano State in 2020 after sharing song lyrics allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed. The Kano State High Court later overturned the conviction but ordered a retrial, prompting Sharif-Aminu’s lawyers to appeal to the Supreme Court in an effort to prevent another trial and seek broader reforms.

“All various aspects of the sharia penal code that offend the constitution and Nigeria’s international obligations cannot remain on our statute books,” said defence lawyer Kola Alapinni after the court granted his team an extension to file their appeal.

Although Nigeria’s federal government is secular, sharia law operates alongside common law in 12 mostly Muslim northern states. Harsh punishments under sharia are rarely enforced; death sentences for adultery and blasphemy have typically been overturned or paused pending appeal. Nevertheless, vigilante violence has occurred in northern states over alleged blasphemy, highlighting ongoing tensions between formal law and public sentiment.

International Attention and Ongoing Detention

The case has drawn support from civil and religious liberties advocates from the United States, European Union, and United Nations. In April, the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States ruled that Kano’s death penalty for blasphemy was “excessive and disproportionate,” although Nigeria has yet to enforce the decision.

Sharif-Aminu is accused of sharing lyrics in a WhatsApp group suggesting a Muslim religious leader he followed was more pious than the Prophet Mohammed. Representing the Kano state government, lawyer Lamido Abba Sorondinki told reporters, “Anybody who has uttered any word that touches the integrity of the holy prophet, we’ll punish him.” Alapinni responded with a quip, noting that the Supreme Court, not the opposition, would make the final ruling.

Sharif-Aminu remains in detention as the Supreme Court considers the appeal, which could set a significant precedent for the interplay between sharia law, Nigeria’s constitution, and international human rights obligations.