NITDA, NIMC announce collaboration to strengthen digital economy
Kano Death Sentence: Representatives of Music Bodies petition Kano Governor, Ganduje
By Adekunle Badmus
A coalition of 10 National and International representative organisations in the music industry have signed a petition to Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje over the judgement passed on a musician, Yahya Sharif-Aminu who was accused of blaspheming the Prophet of Islam, Muhammed.
According to the petition, a copy of which was obtained by Lagosstreetjournal.ng, the judgement by the Sharia court in Kano is a breach of protecting freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
It is also a breach of protecting freedom of expression of the Nigerian Constitution.
The musicians’ body has since called on the state Governor, Ganduje to ensure the rights of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu under the Nigerian Constitution are fully respected and all charges against him are dropped.
The statement dated September 6, 2020 reads in full:
“We, the undersigned, speak on behalf of the following ten National and International representative organisations
in the field of music and artistic freedom:
European Music Council (EMC), Finnish Music Council, Finnish
Musicians Union (SML), Freemuse, International Federation of Actors (FIA), International Federation of Musicians
(FIM), International Music Council (IMC), Nordic Musicians Union (NMU), Artists at Risk / Perpetuum Mobile,
Safemuse.
We wish to express our deepest concern regarding the situation of young Nigerian musician Yahaya
Sharif-Aminu, who has been sentenced to death by a Sharia court in Kano State, for blasphemy against Prophet
Mohammed.
According to our information, he will be executed by hanging in less than seven days from today, unless charges are dropped or the sentence is overruled.
This court decision is clearly in breach of sections 38 (protecting freedom of thought, conscience and religion)
and 39 (protecting freedom of expression) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The application of the death penalty also violates Nigeria’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which it is a party.
Considering the above, we urge you to use your influence to make sure that the rights of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu
under the Nigerian Constitution are fully respected and that all charges against him are dropped.
Yours respectfully,
Sanni Kahilainen Ahti Vänttinen Ian Smith Sverre Pedersen
President, Finnish Music Council President, SML President, EMC Campaigns manager, Freemuse
Dominick Luquer Benoît Machuel Alfons Karabuda Gunnar Hrnasson
General Secretary, FIA General Secretary, FIM President, IMC Chairman, NMU”
