The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) says Yahaya Sharif-Aminu,
a musician sentenced to death in Kano state, has been denied access to a
lawyer.
Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging on August 10,
after he was found guilty of committing blasphemy in a song against the Prophet
Muhammad.
The development stirred an outcry
among many Nigerians.
Despite public outcry, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in
Nigeria asked Kano state government to execute the court judgment.
In a statement on Thursday, Ernest Nduka, NBA national
publicity secretary, said the association has constituted a two-man
fact-finding committee to visit the singer.
He said the action was initiated by Olumide Akpata, NBA president,
in response to allegations on social media by Nigerians and calls by members of
the association that the federal correctional centre, Kano, denied Sharif-Aminu
access to his lawyers.
The committee comprising John Aikpokpo-Martins, NBA first
vice president, and Kunle Edun, its national welfare secretary, was mandated to
embark on a fact-finding mission to the correctional centre.
Nduka said the committee visited the correctional centre on
Wednesday but were denied access to the singer.
He said the NBA national officers found that the singer was
not represented by a lawyer during the trial at the Upper Sharia Court, adding
that Sharif-Aminu has been denied access to any lawyer since his conviction.
“At the Correctional Centre, the NBA National Officers were
informed that the Controller of the Correctional Centre was not available. They were granted an audience by the Second
in command,” the statement read.
“The NBA National Officers informed the said Second in
Command about their mission at the Federal Correctional Centre, Kano. They
requested to see Yahaya Sharif-Aminu in order to ascertain the veracity of the
allegation that lawyers were not allowed to gain access to him. The said Second
in Command informed the said National Officers that he does not have the
authority to grant the access sought, but would seek the permission of his
boss, the Controller (who was not available as at the time of the visit) before
allowing the National Officers access to Yahaya Sharif-Aminu.
“The afore-mentioned National officers were eventually
denied access to Yahaya Sharif even after the said Second in Command made the
call to his superior.
“However, the said National Officers were able to confirm
that Yahaya Sharif-Aminu has been denied access to any lawyer since his
conviction. They were further informed that Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was not
represented by a lawyer during the trial at the Upper Sharia Court.
“The Nigerian Bar Association states that since the visit
was a fact finding mission, the NBA shall take further steps in ensuring that
Yahaya Sharif-Aminu is given the requisite opportunity to exercise his
constitutional right of appeal and his right to be represented by a lawyer of
his choice. It is imperative that Yahaya
is granted access to a lawyer of his choice.”
The United Kingdom had opposed the death penalty on the
singer, saying people have the right to freely express opinions and peacefully
challenge authorities.
But Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano, said he will not
waste time in signing the warrant for the execution of the singer.
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