Blasphemy: Absence of lawyers stalls appeal hearing in Kano

Absence of appeal lawyers on Monday stalled the start of hearing into two appeals against blasphemy ruling before a Kano state high court of appeal.

The cases are those of 22-year-old Yahaya Aminu Sharif sentence to death by hanging by an Upper Shariah court and that of 13-year-old Umar Faruk sentence to 10 years imprisonment.

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At the start of sitting on Monday, the lawyers who were to come in from Lagos could not however do so due to ‘challenges’.

The court was told so through one Zubairu Suleiman Usman (not a lawyer) who stood up when the case was called.

Usman told the court that the lawyers reached out to him to inform the court that they wanted the case to be rescheduled for 26-30th of November.

The respondent lead lawyer, the Attorney General of Kano state, Musa Abdullahi Lawal told the court of their intention to file an application to enable them serve the appellants through substituted means so that they can respond at next adjourned date.

In his ruling, Justice Nasiru Saminu acknowledges the ongoing #EndSARS riot in Lagos and due to the sensitive nature of the case also accepted the message sent through the messenger before adjourning the matter to November 26 for definite hearing.

Recall that the 30-year-old singer, Sharif Yahaya Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed (pbuh).

The court sitting at Hausawa Filin Hockey, presided over by Khadi Muhammad Ali Kani, gave the verdict on August 10 after finding Sharif guilty of the offence.