Get Guardian on GoogleThe United States has called for the release of Sufi singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who is facing execution on death row over blasphemy charges in Kano State.
The North American nation demanded Sharif-Aminu’s release through Hon. Riley Barnes who disclosed this during a hearing organised by the Africa Subcommittee of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Barnes said that the US government was engaging the Federal Government and reaching out to Sharif-Aminu’s relatives while urging the Nigerian authorities to move away from its blasphemy laws.
According to him, the US government’s primary objective is to put an end to attacks and violence in Nigeria.
“We are actively pressing the Nigerian government and calling the relatives of Sufi singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who sits on death row over blasphemy charges,” Barnes said.
“We continue to urge the government to cease enforcing blasphemy laws, but our chief goal remains to end the attacks and violence. The US has made it clear that the measure of success will be fewer attacks and less violence,” Barnes said.
In August 2020, an Upper Shari’a Court sitting at Hausawa Quarters in Kano State sentenced the 22-year old singer to death by hanging for blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad.
In his ruling, the Shari’a court Khadi, Aliyu Muhammad Kani, found Sharif guilty of the one-count charge bordering on a derogatory comment contained in one of his songs.
Sharif, a resident of Sharifai quarters in Kano municipal, was accused of committing blasphemy against the prophet in a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March 2020.
Sharif’s action came to public knowledge on 4th of March, 2020, when hundreds of angry youths stormed the Kano Hisbah board headquarters in protest against what they considered an uncomplimentary assault on prophet Muhammad.
The youths accused government and security agencies of undue protection and failure to act appropriately against Sharif.
The irate youths had earlier razed down the family house of the singer after his disappearance when they invaded the resident.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also pledged to monitor the appeal filed by Sharif-Aminu.
