Christian Advocacy Group Hopes Court Hearing of Young Nigerian Will Overturn Country’s Blasphemy Laws

Expressing concern that Yahaya has languished in prison for more than five years “over nothing more than a WhatsApp message”, the ADF International official adds, “This hearing is the next step to earning justice for him and protecting his right to free expression, and in turn, that of every person in Nigeria.”  

The Christian legal advocacy group reports that in March 2020, Yahaya-Sharif Aminu, a Sufi Muslim from Kano State, shared song lyrics on WhatsApp that some considered blasphemous. 

Local authorities arrested him, while a mob burned his home to the ground. 

On 10 August 2020, a Sharia court is said to have convicted Yahaya of blasphemy and sentenced him to death by hanging. 

In January 2021, the court reportedly overturned the conviction, citing serious procedural flaws, including the lack of legal representation during his original trial. The High Court ordered a retrial, in which Yahaya would face the same death penalty blasphemy law. 

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After an appellate court upheld the retrial order in 2022, Yahaya appealed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. 

Yahaya has remained in prison for over five years and is currently awaiting justice from the Supreme Court.  

In his appeal, the Nigerian man is now asking the court not only to free him, but also “to declare Kano State’s death penalty blasphemy law unconstitutional,” according to the report by ADF International.

Yahaya argues that Kano State’s death penalty blasphemy law “violates Nigeria’s own constitution and international commitments to protect freedom of religion and expression,” according to the report. 

Yahaya’s case has received international attention. In April 2023, the European Parliament issued a near-unanimous urgency resolution calling for the repeal of Nigeria’s blasphemy laws and the immediate release of Yahaya-Sharif Aminu.

In a rare second urgency resolution in February 2025, the Parliament reaffirmed its stance, demanding Yahaya’s “immediate and unconditional release.” 

The European Parliament condemned the blasphemy law, and urged Nigeria to lead by example in abolishing blasphemy laws that threaten religious minorities.  

The United Nations also weighed in on Yahaya’s imprisonment, publicly demanding his release in May 2024. 

In late 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a thorough opinion finding Sharif-Aminu’s case in violation of multiple internationally-protected human rights and calling for his immediate release.

ADF International says that a ruling in Yahaya’s favor could set a precedent for the entire country, potentially rendering blasphemy laws unenforceable and protecting religious minorities from facing similar prosecutions in the future. 

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“A positive ruling would have a major effect around the world, as Nigeria is one of only seven countries in the world with a death penalty blasphemy law,” the group says. 

“It is our hope that the Supreme Court will deliver justice to this young man,” says Kola Alapinni, international human rights lawyer and legal counsel for Yahaya. 

He adds, “For far too long, blasphemy laws have wrongfully been used to persecute and harm religious minorities. It is time for the court to make a decision that upholds the right to religious freedom in Nigeria.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.