6th January, 2016
Photo: AFP
An Islamic Court in northern Nigeria has sentenced to death a Muslim cleric for blaspheming Islam’s holiest figure, Prophet Muhammad.
Abdul Niasse was sentenced at a secret trial in Kano, the main northern city, to “avoid a repeat of the mob action” seen at a previous hearing of the court, prosecutor Lamido Abba Soron-Dinki told the AFP news agency.
Mr Niasse caused public outrage in May when he allegedly made derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad to followers as they marked the birthday of the former leader of the Muslim Tijaniyya Sufi order, Ibrahim Niasse, it reports.
The cleric was arrested in August in the capital, Abuja, where he was in hiding, and was brought back to Kano for his trial, Mr Soron-Dinki told AFP.
“He has up to a month to appeal the sentence and it is most likely he is going for appeal,” he added.
Mainly Muslim Northern Nigeria has a parallel legal system, where both Islamic and security courts operate.
The secular government has never allowed the execution of anyone convicted by an Islamic court.