Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Nigerian Sufi musician, is facing a sentence of death after he was convicted of blasphemy in 2020 for writing a song and sharing it via a messaging service.

The audio messages were deemed blasphemous towards the Prophet Mohammed by the courts in Nigeria who heard his case. Despite him not being given any legal representation during his trial at the early stages, he still remains in jail, awaiting a retrial at the Supreme Court, with the risk of a death sentence. His lawyer, Kola Alapinni, argues that Yahaya’s treatment violates both the Nigerian Constitution and international law.

UN experts have urged Nigeria to release Yahaya and abolish the death penalty for blasphemy, emphasizing the need for fair trials in line with international human rights standards. ADF International is supporting Yahaya’s Supreme Court appeal.

Jim Shannon recently asked a business question to the Leader of the House about his case on 13 February 2025. Listen to the following audio from ParliamentTV.