17/11/2025
Bad government
Amnesty International is calling on the Governor of Kano state Abba Kabir Yusuf to drop all charges against Aminu Yahaya-Shariff — sentenced to death by an Upper Sharia Court in August 2020 for alleged blasphemy.
After releasing a song via whatsapp in March 2020, a mob burnt down his family home in Kano city. The mob was never held to account for the taking the law into their own hands. Before and during the trial, he was not permitted legal representation.
In March 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sheriff-Aminu in detention and found him in poor health as he has severe asthma and periodically needs an inhaler and related medications.
In November 2024, Amnesty International visited Yahaya Sharif-Aminu again and, although he is recuperating due to medications supplied to him, he still requires regular access to his medications.
Detention conditions in Nigeria are harsh, with food, healthcare and other conditions falling short of the minimum requirements set out in the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) and other international standards.
Kano state government must act now!
