Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has declared that he will not waste a minute in signing the death warrant of the man who was sentenced to death by the Sharia Court for insulting Prophet Muhammad.
The governor stated this at a gathering of religious leaders, legal practitioners security personnel and government officials at the government house Kano on Thursday
However, Governor Ganduje explained that the law of the land provides that the convicted person has the right to appeal within 30 days which if it elapses and the warrant is brought before him he will sign it.
“The court has done its job and as a government we have provided the needed security.
“The judgement has taken place and the law of the land allows the person convicted to appeal further within 30 days to the High Court and to the Appeal Court and to the Supreme court as the case may be.
“Should at the end of it the warrant is presented before me, I will not waste time in signing it.
“On the second hand, if he does not appeal within the specified period, I will not spend a minute in signing the death warrant” the Governor stated.
Also speaking at the gathering the Kano state chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA Aminu Sani Gadanya stated that the state NBA is in total support of the court judgement. He however reminded the the public that the law of the land provides that the convicted person has the eight to appeal and the state can only execute the judgement after the convicted person has exhausted all his rights to appeal.
“Our stance as NBA in Kano is that we accept the death sentence on the man that insulted the Prophet Muhammad and it should be implemented.
“According to the law of the land he has the right to appeal within 30 days. It should be noted that the Governor’s hands are tied and cannot immediately sign the warrant as the convicted person can go from the Sharia court to High Court, to Appeal Court and to the Supreme Court. It is only after the process that the warrant can be prepared for the Governor to sign” the NBA chairman said.
Also, leaders of the various Islamic sects in the state, including Tijjaniyya, Qadiriyya and Izala, who spoke at the event declared support for the judgement and called on the Governor to ensure that he signs the warrant when it is presented to him.
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