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Much Ado About The Sharia Law
November 13, 2024It is alarming that whilst Mr. Yahaya Sharif-Aminu has been languishing in jail for over four years trying to prove his innocence and also to challenge the constitutionality of the Sharia law as it is currently being practised in Kano State, a lawmaker seeks to expand the scope of the Sharia Law by removing the … Continue reading "Much Ado About The Sharia Law"...Read more
Bid to extend Shariah Law
October 31, 2024On Thursday, 24th October 2024, the House of Representatives rejected a bill seeking to amend the Federal Constitution by expanding the scope for Sharia Law. The 1999 (Amended) Constitution permits States to enact Shariah provisions, but this right is explicitly limited to personal law, such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance. The bill, sponsored by Bauchi … Continue ...Read more
UN Support for Yahaya Sharif-Aminu
May 16, 2024Today, United Nations experts urged Nigerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. On August 10, 2020, an Upper Shariah Court in Kano State, Nigeria, sentenced 22, year-old Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, to death by hanging on charges of blasphemy. Sharif-Aminu was tried without legal representation after being held incommunicado for six months. The ...Read more
Appeal Court Judge’s home raided by armed EFCC agents
September 22, 2022Yesterday, armed officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invaded the Kano residence of Justice Ita Mbaba, Presiding Judge of the Kano Court of Appeal. The alarming, unexpected raid took place at 5:00 am in the hours of darkness. Justice Mbaba was one of three judges who heard our appeal against the decision … Continue reading "Appeal Court Judge&#...Read more
Kano Appeal Court orders Yahaya to be retried for blasphemy
August 17, 2022On 10 August 2020, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging by the Kano Upper Shariah Court sitting at Hausawa Filin Hockey. FRF appealed the conviction because: 1. Gross procedural errors in the trial (including failure to provide legal representation for Yahaya) made the conviction unsafe, and 2. Shariah blasphemy … Continue read...Read more
Mubarak Bala: Two Years in Prison Today
April 28, 2022Mubarak Bala arrested two years ago today. Here is the story....Read more
Mubarak Was Not Charged with Blasphemy
April 6, 2022Mubarak Bala is widely reported as being found guilty of blasphemy. He was not. Full details here....Read more
Mubarak Bala Sentenced to 24 Years
April 5, 2022Some days come and go leaving a fading shadow in our minds. Other days, hit us like a jackhammer and leave a deep impression that never fades. April 5, 2022, was one such day. After just shy of two years in prison, after waiting 14 months to be charged and 23 months for his case … Continue reading "Mubarak Bala Sentenced to 24 Years"...Read more
Yahaya Sharif-Aminu’s 2nd Blasphemy Appeal in Court Today
December 1, 2021Today, FRF lawyers appeared at the Federal Court of Appeal, Kano Division, Nigeria acting on behalf of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. A Kano Shariah Court sentenced Yahaya to death on August 10, 2020, on charges of blasphemy. Our lawyers successfully appealed that decision on November 26. However, the Kano High Court ordered a re-trial instead of releasing him. … Continue reading ...Read more