Nigeria’s Appeal Court affirms death sentence on Abdul Inyass for blasphemy
The Nigerian Court of Appeal sitting in Kano, on Friday, April 26, 2024, affirmed the judgement of the Kano State High Court on the conviction and sentence of one Abdulaziz Dauda for blasphemy.
The appeal court’s judgement, delivered by Justice Muhammad L. Shuaibu and supported by Justice Usman A. Musale, upheld the judgement of the High Court which affirmed the death sentence by hanging given by the Upper Shariah Court Rijiyar Lemo, Kano.
However, Justice B.M. Ugu gave a dissenting judgement, discharging and acquitting the appellant.
READ ALSO: BLASPHEMY: Abduljabbar Arrested, Arraigned, Remanded in Kano
Justice Ugu said the conviction should not stand because part of the evidence relied upon by the lower court to convict the appellant should not have been admitted by the court for failure to comply with Section 84 of the Evidence Act which requires Certificate of Compliance for electronically generated evidence.
The evidence in question, a CD Rom, which was a part of the collection of evidence before the Shariah Court, was the contention which Justice Ugu’s dissenting judgement brought to the fore.
In 2016, the Kano Upper Sharia Court sentenced Dauda, popularly known as Abdul Inyass, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of blasphemy.
Dauda was arrested on August 18, 2015 in Abuja and taken to Kano, where he faced trial on a two-count charge of blasphemy and inciting crisis that led to the burning of a Sharia court and some vehicles.
READ ALSO: BLASPHEMY: Abduljabbar’s group set to appeal death sentence, claims Ganduje influenced verdict
The man reportedly made some blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during a Maulud festival held on June 31 2015.
State counsel, Lamido Sorondinki, said in 2016 that five witnesses, including the police, had testified before the court.
A Kano State High Court in its appellate capacity had upheld the Upper Shariah Court judgement, where Justices A.T. Badamasi and Nasiru Saminu agreed that Mr Dauda be subjected to death by hanging.
