20/09

NIGERIA: Appeal Against Death Sentence By Stoning Adjourned

Hearing in the appeal filed b 50-year-old convicted rapist, Sarimu Muhammad, began on Wednesday at the Sharia Appeal Court in Dutse, Jigawa.

 The defence counsel, Muhammad Gusau, who had pleaded that the convict was insane, also faulted the lower court's reliance on the confessional statement of the accused in passing judgment.

 Gusau said that witnesses should have been invited to testify in the case.

 He argued that in condemning Mohammad to death by stoning on May 8, the lower court contravened the provision of Sharia on fair hearing.

 He also told the court that under Islamic law psychiatric patients were absolved from punishment for offences committed.

 Prosecution counsel, Mun-tari Roko, urged the court to adjourn the case to enable him respond to the submissions of the defence.

 The presiding judge, Inuwa Ali, leading 2 others, Umar Muhammad and Murtala Adamu, adjourned the case to Sept. 25, and ordered that the appellant be remanded in Hadejia prison.