![]() ![]() If the international community does not speak out, then our leaders will get away with regularly violating our rights. We have joined international treaties both with the United Nations and the African Union that are meant to protect individuals’ abilities to freely share their beliefs and live out their faith.īut if Nigeria does not honor these commitments in our actions, then these are just words on pieces of paper. We are not supposed to have any religion as an “official” religion in our federal and state governments. Nigeria’s Constitution is supposed to protect freedom of expression and freedom of religion. Now we are appealing to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in the first case of its kind, to overturn these vile and unconstitutional laws, and save Yahaya’s life. We were able to secure a dismissal for Omar, but the same day that dismissal came down, Yahaya was sent back for a retrial instead. Those who took offense to them burned down his home, and he was swiftly convicted without a lawyer and sentenced to death by hanging. His “crime” was sending two WhatsApp audio messages with lyrics he composed describing the beliefs of his particular sect of Sufi Islam. Only after years of international outcry was he freed.īut the other young man I represent, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, still sits in prison, now for three years. One was Omar Farouq, a minor who was accused, convicted, and sentenced to 10 years in prison for alleged blasphemy against Islam. I have recently represented two individuals convicted for their alleged blasphemy. And yet in our democracy, does anyone do anything to stop these laws? These blasphemy laws are in flagrant violation of the Nigerian Constitution, as well as international treaties we have signed. In Northern Nigeria, twelve states have Sharia-based criminal codes that mandate the death penalty for any Muslim who says something that could be construed as insulting to the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad. I speak from my own experience as a human rights lawyer in Nigeria. With daily life in Nigeria so uncertain for the average citizen, and human rights so flagrantly and regularly abused, the harsh reality is that we are far from a functioning democracy. The post-election turmoil Nigeria now faces is but a reflection of the deep-seated tensions that plague our society. Follow-up gubernatorial elections were filled with brutal instances of ethnic-based violence. But once again, daily life in Nigeria conspired against the average person.Īs to be expected given this degree of societal chaos, legal disputes erupted immediately between the declared winner of the election, Bola Tinubu, and his challengers, with all sides claiming victory. Nigerians are in desperate need of political change, and as proof of this, voter registration numbers prior to the election broke records. Corruption and incompetency on the part of government is expected. Violence is a daily fear across the entire country, which has the largest population and economy in Africa. The ones who made it to the polls were the lucky ones-many were unable to even travel because of fuel shortages and chaos caused by a new currency system.īut for Nigerians, these are not new difficulties. Voters faced violent attacks from thugs and even terrorists in addition to withstanding long delays due to election officials who showed up hours late to their polling locations. Recently, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new president. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |