Nigerian musician sentenced to death over 'blasphemous song'

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu has been sentenced to death in Kano, Nigeria. Photo: change.org.

A 22-year-old musician has been sentenced to death after being convicted of sharing an insulting song about the Prophet Muhammad in a WhatsApp chat. Yahaya Sharif-Aminu faces being hanged after his conviction in Kano, Nigeria. Outrage grew after the recording was widely shared earlier this year, with an angry crowd destroying his family home and forcing his father to flee. Sharif-Aminu's conviction has been described as a "travesty of justice", amid calls for his life to be spared. Lawyers for the music studio assistant told CNN the comment was made during a row posted in a WhatsApp group.

Legal documents say he was found guilty of making "a blasphemous statement against Prophet Mohammed in a WhatsApp Group" - an offence punishable by death according to the Kano State Sharia Penal Code. Sharif-Aminu admitted the charge during his trial - during which he reportedly did not have a lawyer - but later said he'd made a mistake. He was arrested in March by the Hisbah Corps - a religious police force that enforces Sharia law in the state. Amnesty International's Nigeria director Osai Ojigho said: "There are serious concerns about the fairness of his trial and the framing of the charges against him based on his WhatsApp messages. Furthermore, the imposition of the death penalty following an unfair trial violates the right to life."