NEWS:-----worldwide

[Rick Halperin <rhalperi at POST.CIS.SMU.EDU> (via "Comitato Paul Rougeau (RM)" <prougeau at tin.it>)]

Nov. 18



NIGERIA:

Federal Government, Sokoto Fight Over Woman's Death Sentence


The Federal and Sokoto State governments of are poised for a fight over
the sharia verdict passed by a Gwadabawa sharia court to stone a woman,
Safiya Hussaini to death for committing adultery.

Reacting over a recent statement made by the Attorney General of the
Federation, Chief Bola Ige who told a group of Nigerian lawyers based in
the United States that the Federal Government would not allow the Sokoto
State Government to execute the judgement of the Sokoto State Attorney
General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar Sanyinna,
said the Federal Government has no power to stop the death sentence
against the convict.

Sanyinna, who contradicted Ige's statement in an interview with the Voice
of America, Hausa programme monitored in Maru, Zamfara State, said the
Federal Government has no jurisdiction to stop the death sentence passed
against Safiya Hussaini.

"For the Attorney General of the Federation to say that the Federal
Government would not allow the execution of judgment passed against
Safiya for committing the offence is contrary to the constitution of the
country," Sanyinna said.

He said the Federal Government has no right to stop his state over the
punishment since it has not contradicted the sharia laws in Sokoto State
sharia.

According to the Commissioner, following the sentence of the convict, a
group of lawyers in the state filed an appeal on behalf of the convict
before the Sokoto Sharia Court of Appeal.

Sanyinna stressed further that President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Bola
Ige have on different occasions described the sharia legal system being
implemented in some states of the federation as legal and constitutional.

"You see, the court that passed the judgment is a court that was
recognised by the constitution of this country, therefore no person has
the right to change the verdict except the upper sharia court," the
commissioner maintained.

It would be recalled that the Gwadabawa sharia court in Sokoto State
sentenced Safiya Hussaini to death by stoning following her confession
that she committed adultery and gave birth to a baby.

THISDAY gathered that under the sharia, even after the termination of the
one month without an appeal from the culprit, the convict will be allowed
for some months to wean the baby before the judgment is passed on her.

Meanwhile, a traditional ruler, in Jigawa State, Alhaji Abba Ajiya of
Kazaure has been sentenced to 1 year imprisonment in addition to 40 cane
strokes.

An Upper Sharia Court in Kazaure convicted the traditional ruler for
unlawfully keeping a housewife, Faiza Bala.

However, the Ajiya was convicted alongside accomplice, Mamuda Lawal and
the housewife harboured.

While passing the judgment, the presiding khadi, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu
said the offence contravened Section 389 of the panel code.

Expressing disgust at the daily increase in social crimes, Adamu
described the offence as serious and is punishable with 2 years
imprisonment as an optimum of N5,000 fine or both.

He said his court based the conviction on the testimony of 5 witnesses,
which includes the husband of the "camped housewife, Mallam Bala Yusuf.

He said during the trial which lasted 6 weeks, 7 love letters were
written to Faiza by the traditional ruler.

Other exhibits tendered include sets of clothes given to the housewife by
Abba.

He, however, said both Abba and Faiza, should be arraigned before a court
of law for special prosecution on the second adultery charge.

(source: This Day)






PAKISTAN:

Murderer awarded death sentence


In Rawalpindi, the additional sessions judge on Saturday awarded death
sentence to an accused involved in a murder case, registered with the
Westridge police in October 1999.

According to details of the murder case, convict Zahoor had shot dead
Farooq on October 1, 1999 due to an old enmity while the latter was going
to attend a marriage party alongwith his mother and sister.

The case was heard by Additional Sessions Judge Sakhi Muhammad Kahut, who
awarded death sentence to Zahoor.

(source: Dawn)

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