Blashemy: “I Won't Waste A Minute In Signing Shariff’s Death Warrant” – Gov. Ganduje

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has declared that he will not waste a minute in signing the death
warrant of the man who was sentenced to death by the Sharia Court for insulting Prophet Muhammad.

Recall that an upper Sharia court in the Hausawa Filin Hockey area of Kano State while delivering judgment on August 10, 2020, said Shariff Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, 22, was guilty of committing blasphemy for a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March.

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The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, SCSN, had then, on August 19, urged Ganduje to immediately ensure the execution of the court judgment to serve as a deterrent to others.

The governor has now said he won't waste time in signing the death warrant while speaking at a gathering of religious leaders, legal practitioners security personnel and government officials at the government house Kano on Thursday, August 27.

He however explained that the law of the land provides that the convicted person has the right to appeal within 30 days. Adding that if the time elapses and the warrant is brought before him he will sign it.

“The court has done its job and as a government we have provided the needed security.

“The judgement has taken place and the law of the land allows the person convicted to appeal further within 30 days to the High Court and to the Appeal Court and to the Supreme court as the case may be.

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“Should at the end of it the warrant is presented before me, I will not waste time in signing it.

“On the second hand, if he does not appeal within the specified period, I will not spend a minute in signing the death warrant,” Ganduje stated.

The Kano state chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Aminu Sani Gadanya who also spoke at the gathering said that the state NBA is in total support of the court judgement.

He however reminded the public that the law of the land allows that the convicted person has the right to appeal and the state can only execute the judgement after the convicted person has exhausted all his rights to appeal.