Category Nigeria News

Nigeria’s Supreme Court held its first hearing in a high-profile blasphemy case Thursday that defence lawyers hope will lead to a ruling that puts curbs on sharia law.

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim musician, was sentenced to death by a sharia court in Nigeria’s northern Kano state in 2020 for sharing song lyrics deemed to insult the Prophet Mohammed.

The Kano State High Court later overturned the conviction but also ordered a retrial — an outcome his lawyers are trying to prevent while seeking a wider ruling on punishments for violating sharia law, including the death penalty for blasphemy and adultery.

“All various aspects of the sharia penal code that offend the constitution and Nigeria’s international obligations, we cannot have on our statute books”, lawyer Kola Alapinni told reporters after the court granted an extension for his team to file their appeal.

Though Nigeria’s federal government is secular, sharia law operates alongside common law in 12 mostly Muslim northern states.

Harsh punishments for violations of Islamic law are rarely handed out — and almost never implemented. Death sentences for adultery and blasphemy since the courts were established 25 years ago, have either been overturned or paused pending appeal.

However, mobs in the socially conservative north have been known to carry out vigilante justice for alleged blasphemy.

As the case has wound its way to Nigeria’s highest court, civil and religious liberties advocates from the United States, European Union, and United Nations have voiced support for Sharif-Aminu.

In April, the international court for the West African regional bloc, the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, determined Kano’s death penalty for blasphemy was “excessive and disproportionate”.

Nigeria has not enforced the ruling.

Sharif-Aminu is alleged to have shared lyrics in a WhatsApp group that said that a Muslim religious leader he followed was more pious than the Prophet Mohammed, Islam’s founder, Alapinni told AFP.

READ ALSO: Osun JUSUN Insists Indefinite Strike Continues

Lamido Abba Sorondinki, a lawyer for the Kano state government, told reporters that “anybody who has uttered any word that touches the integrity of the holy prophet, we’ll punish him”.

Standing next to him, Alapinni laughed and quipped: “My learned friend is not the Supreme Court — that’s just the opposition”.

Sharif-Aminu remains in detention as his appeal continues.

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has refuted reports of a three-day warning strike in Osun State.

Comrade Idris Adedayo Adeniran, the union’s chairman, stated in a statement released on Thursday that the action will continue unabated.

Adeniran criticized the reports as “false, baseless, and maliciously designed to undermine our legitimate struggle.”

He emphasized that JUSUN members would not allow attempts to stifle their resolve and that they would continue to support their demands.

He urged stakeholders, attorneys, and members to continue to work together and keep up the fight for justice and fairness.

Call for Solidarity Movement

Members of the Osun State Judiciary’s headquarters were invited to a solidarity rally by the JUSUN State Executive Council.

The meeting, which is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. today (Thursday) at the High Court Gate, aims to promote unity and promote justice.

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Adeniran urged people to support the organization and speak out loud.

The union reiterated its main demands, including “all judicial staff members, improved welfare, and better working conditions.”

Adeniran argued that these demands are “legitimate, reasonable, and long overdue,” adding that JUSUN would continue to support them until they are satisfied.

He argued that the Judicial Service Commission’s approval of Chief Judge Adepele Ojo is necessary to put an end to the strike.

Goddy Uwazuruike, a lawyer and a member of the 2014 National Conference, has stated that strongman politics and the strongman mentality still permeate Nigeria and that if they are not stopped, they will cause the country to end.

On Thursday, Uwazuruike said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, “Strongman politics and strongman mentality are still on and will lead to our doom.”

He noted that leadership under former presidents like Goodluck Jonathan, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Umar Musa Yar’Adua was clearly different from what has been going on for the previous ten years.

“Related to today, look back and then compare it to when Yar’Adua was present, Yar’Adua was present, and Jonathan was present. The ruling party, the opposition, the executive, and the opposition were all flourishing. What has been reported in recent ten years, though?

Because of the strongman syndrome, literally everyone in the opposition has re-emerged in the ruling party. Nobody can think of saying “No, Mr. President,” he added, “They have said it even in this regime, in this administration, so nobody can think of getting it,” he continued.

Read more: Nigerians Want FG To Combat Insecurity Like It Pushes For Revenue – Atiku.

Uwazuruike cited Rivers State as an example, arguing that strongman politics give the President the power to make unambiguous decisions that are immediately followed.

He will ask the governor to step aside and the governor will leave. What has happened in our legislature and judiciary? “he said”. We are going the wrong way as long as this strongman politics continues.

He further criticized former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, claiming that the nation’s support for his leadership ultimately led to disappointment.

By the time Buhari’s eight years are over, the nation has lost all sense in terms of security and welfare. “When we were saying that Buhari is a strong man, he is a general, he will lead from the front,” he said.

Uwazuruike also expressed disappointment with Bola Tinubu’s current administration, suggesting that despite promises of a brighter future, things have gotten worse.

Then, President Tinubu presented his Renewed Hope plan. We now know where we are now, where the cost of living has increased exponentially, and where the insecurity has even grown worse as a result of that renewed hope.

Achraf Hakimi, a star for Paris Saint-Germain and currently facing charges of rape, said he has “peace of mind” and anticipates being cleared of the accusations.

The Moroccan international, 26, was charged with rape last month after French prosecutors demanded that he be tried for allegedly having raped a 24-year-old woman he had met on social media.

In an interview for the “Clique” show, which was broadcast on Wednesday night, Hakimi said, “I know that what I am accused of is a lie.”

The Madrid-born Hakimi expressed his knowledge in Spanish that he had never done anything and that he would never do that.

“I feel calm of mind today.” hoping to be told soon that the truth will be revealed.

Hakimi, who helped Morocco reach the 2022 World Cup’s semi-finals, was accused of raping the woman in March 2023.

READ ALSO:   Prosecutors Demand Achraf Hakimi’s PSG Face Rape Trial.

While his wife, from whom he has since divorced, and children were away on vacation, Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to visit his home on February 25, 2023, in Boulogne-Billancourt.

Following the incident, the woman alleges rape and is now being questioned by police at a police station.

Prosecutors decided to bring charges against the player despite the woman’s refusal to make a formal accusation.

Hakimi insists that an extortion attempt took place on his behalf.

READ ALSO:   Prosecutors Demand Achraf Hakimi’s PSG Face Rape Trial.

The Nanterre prosecutor’s office informed AFP on August 1 that they had requested that the rape case be sent to a criminal court.

Nothing about the investigation makes it possible to characterize extortion, according to the alleged victim’s attorney Rachel-Flore Pardo, who spoke to AFP on Thursday.

Mr. Hakimi is attempting to imitate what we have in sexual violence situations.

Hakimi hasn’t stopped playing for PSG and his country since the allegations first surfaced, winning the French champions league in May with the Qatari-owned club.

After an escalator, teleprompter, and sound system malfunctioned while he was speaking at the UN, US President Donald Trump demanded an investigation on what he termed “triple sabotage.”

The UN has claimed that Trump’s events on Tuesday at its New York headquarters were unintended and partly due to White House staff.

Trump, however, criticized the string of mishaps as “very sinister” in a protracted, angry social media post, demanded that people be detained, and claimed that the Secret Service was conducting inquiries as well.

“This was triple sabotage at the UN, not a coincidence.” Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that they should be ashamed of themselves.

I’m requesting an investigation right away by submitting a copy of this letter to the Secretary General. It’s no wonder the UN hasn’t been able to accomplish the task for which it was created.

Trump Attacks the UN and Europe at the UNGA.

The 79-year-old president and First Lady Melania Trump were seen on camera entering UN headquarters on Tuesday, but footage from the elevator abruptly stopped and forced them to climb.

Then, as he began his speech, he noticed that his teleprompter wasn’t functioning.

The majority of his speech was spent criticizing the world body, accusing it of funding illegal migration that was “hell” and failing to back his peace efforts in Gaza and Ukraine.

‘Disgrace’

However, after the escalator, Trump’s mood turned more sour a day later, when he made a mostly jokey face.

Yesterday, the United Nations hosted a REAL DISGRACE. Not just one, but three ominous, ominous, events”! he wrote.

Trump claimed that the escalator stop was a “real disaster.”

He said, “It’s amazing that Melania and I didn’t face first and fall forward onto these steel steps’ sharp edges.

Trump then blasted the UN auditorium’s “completely off” sound and that his teleprompter for his speech was “stone cold dark” for the first 15 minutes.

The Secret Service is involved, the US president demanded that the security tapes for the elevator be saved.

UN Points at White House

A videographer from the US delegation “may have unintentionally triggered the safety function” on the escalator, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement on Tuesday.

Since the White House runs the teleprompter for the US president, he said, “we have no comment.”

Under the condition of anonymity, a Secret Service official told AFP that the agency was “investigating what the UN said to support it.”

UN, World Leaders Should Reform Or Lose Relevance, [UNGA 80:] READ ALSO.

A UN official who was also speaking on condition of anonymity pointed to Dujarric’s earlier statement when Trump made a comment on the post on Wednesday.

The official explained that the sound system was designed to allow earpieces to be used to hear speeches being translated into six different languages.

The newly appointed US ambassador, Mike Waltz, stated on X that he had formally demanded a detailed explanation of the teleprompter failure’s root cause as well as “immediate plans to implement robust preventive measures.” Waltz also stated on X that he had formally demanded “complete results” from the UN’s investigation into the escalator incident.

According to the World Bank, seventeen African governments have approved reforms and action plans to improve access to electricity under Mission 300.

The initiative, which aims to connect 300 million Africans by 2030, is led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group.

On Wednesday, the commitments were made public at the New York-based Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum.

Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, So Tomé and Principe, Sierra Leone, and Togo all signed the new Energy Compacts.

These blueprints, according to the World Bank, will guide public spending, spur reforms, and entice private investment in national electricity projects.

“Growth And Opportunity”

According to the World Bank, Mission 300 has connected 30 million people, with 100 million more still connected, as of its release.

Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank, said that “electricity is the foundation of jobs, opportunities, and economic growth.”

CBN also warns that Naira Abuse “inflates printing costs.”

He emphasized that Mission 300 is more than just a goal, adding that it will “slash costs, strengthen utilities, and draw in investment.”

The quickest multiplier is “reliable, affordable power for small and medium enterprises, agro-processing, digital work, and industry.” You’ve given a young entrepreneur a paycheck, according to AfDB President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah.

Mission 300’s guiding principles for energy compacts are specific to each nation’s infrastructure, funding, and policy requirements.

Similar compacts were approved earlier this year by Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Liberia, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Leaders’ National Commitments

As a fundamental national need, Botswana’s president Duma Boko pledged access to affordable, reliable, and affordable energy.

Paul Biya, president of Cameroon, pledged to support renewable energy in order to promote sustainable development and universal access.

By 2030, Comoros’ President Azali Assoumani vowed to have universal access to electricity.

Denis Sassou Nguesso, president of the Congo, urged investors to exploit the country’s vast hydro potential for exports of regional power.

Taye Atske Selassie, president of Ethiopia, emphasized regional cooperation and renewable energy growth.

Adama Barrow, the president of the Gambia, pledged to increase renewable energy sources and strengthen governance.

John Mahama, president of Ghana, cited equal opportunities and universal access as two key factors.

Mamadi Doumbouya, president of Guinea, promised to use trustworthy, clean energy to spur industrialization, particularly in the mining sector.

Under Kenya’s economic agenda, Kenya’s president, William Ruto, pledged to have 100% renewable energy by 2030.

Sam Matekane, the prime minister of Lesotho, described universal renewable access as the nation’s cherished right.

Daniel Chapo, president of Mozambique, stated that his nation is on track to meet goals and establish regional dominance.

The compact, according to Sierra Leone’s president Julius Maada Bio, is the country’s most ambitious energy plan.

To promote industrialization, Togo’s president, Faure Gnassingbé, pledged clean, affordable power to everyone.

Américo dos Ramos, the prime minister of So Tomé and Principe, aimed to raise $ 190 million from private investors.