Writes governor
The Pretty Okafor led Performing Musicians’ Employers Association (PMAN), has rallied other international musicians’ body into the controversial death sentence handed on a Kano State based singer.
The bodies have written the governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje to express their deepest concern on the issue.
Your Excellency,
We, the undersigned, speak on behalf of the following ten national and international representative organisations
in the field of music and artistic freedom: European Music Council (EMC), Finnish Music Council, Finnish
Musicians Union (SML), Freemuse, International Federation of Actors (FIA), International Federation of Musicians
(FIM), International Music Council (IMC), Nordic Musicians Union (NMU), Artists at Risk / Perpetuum Mobile,
Safemuse.
We wish to express our deepest concern regarding the situation of young Nigerian musician Yahaya
Sharif-Aminu, who has been sentenced to death by a Sharia court in Kano State, for blasphemy against Prophet
Mohammed. According to our information, he will be executed by hanging in less than seven days from today,
unless charges are dropped or the sentence is overruled.
This court decision is clearly in breach of sections 38 (protecting freedom of thought, conscience and religion)
and 39 (protecting freedom of expression) of the Nigerian Constitution. The application of the death penalty also
violates Nigeria’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
to which it is a party.
Pretty Okafor
Considering the above, we urge you to use your influence to make sure that the rights of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu
under the Nigerian Constitution are fully respected and that all charges against him are dropped.
Yours respectfully,
Sanni Kahilainen Ahti Vänttinen Ian Smith Sverre Pedersen
President, Finnish Music Council President, SML President, EMC Campaigns manager, Freemuse
Dominick Luquer Benoît Machuel Alfons Karabuda Gunnar Hrnasson
General Secretary, FIA General Secretary, FIM President, IMC Chairman, NMU
