Shockwaves are reverberating across Yorùbáland and the global Yorùbá diaspora following the sudden death of the Baba Ọba (King’s Father) of the famed Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA. The late Baba Ọba, Lukman Arohunfale, a revered socialite and traditionalist, passed away under circumstances already sparking fierce controversy. His death comes just days after he publicly accused the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Adéyẹmọ Owoade, of allegedly ordering his courtiers to beat him mercilessly during a recent courtesy visit to the Oyo palace in Nigeria. In a widely circulated voice recording, the deceased recounted how what was meant to be a simple homage turned violent. Although the Baba Ọba had reportedly battled ill health in the past year, growing insinuations suggest that the alleged physical assault may have aggravated his condition, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The palace in Oyo recently denied that s...
Kano state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has vowed to sign the warrant of the death sentence passed on 22-year-old Yahaya Sharif-Aminu for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.He revealed that he is in full support of the ruling by Upper Shari’a Court, stating that he will promptly sign the warrant if Sharif-Aminu does not appeal the sentence.
The Shari’a court had found him guilty of the charge and ordered he should be hanged to death.
Ganduje applauded the judgment. Leaders of the Ulamahs, who represented the three major sects of Islam: Izalah, Tijjaniyya and Kadiriyya, also unanimously hailed the judgment.
The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria recently urged the Kano state government to execute Yahaya Sharif-Aminu
This was made known in a recently released statement by the secretary of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah, who berated those asking for the convict to be pardoned.It added that the case is purely an Islamic affair and in consonance with the religion, culture and wishes of not only the people of Kano but the majority of the population of Nigeria who are Muslims
The statement read;
“The calls by some so-called human rights groups to pardon the culprit should not deter the state government from doing the right thing.
“This case is purely an Islamic affair, in consonance with the religion, culture and wishes of not only the people of Kano, but the majority of the population of Nigeria who are Muslims.
“The council further wishes to emphatically remind all Nigerians especially the secular human rights groups that the judgement is in line with the Supreme Court judgement.”