The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, has described as unacceptable, the judgment of a sharia court in Kano for sentencing a 13-year old boy to 10 years imprisonment over alleged blasphemy.
UNICEF condemnation is contained in a statement that also quoted its Nigeria Country Director, Peter Hawkins, as saying that the” action of the court was wrong”.
UNICEF called on the Nigerian Government and the Kano State Government to urgently review the case with a view to reversing the sentence.
The statement in part reads that “…UNICEF has expressed deep concern about the sentencing of a13-year-old to 10 years’ imprisonment with menial labour by the Kano State Sharia Court at Feli Hockey, Kano, in Northern Nigeria,”
It also negates all core underlying principles of child rights and child justice that Nigeria – and by implication, Kano State – has signed on to.”
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UNICEF added that “…The sentence is in contravention of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Nigeria ratified in 1991. It is also a violation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child – which Nigeria ratified in 2001 – and Nigeria’s Child Rights Act 2003, which domesticates Nigeria’s international obligations to protect children’s right to life, survival and development”
While expressing appreciation of the strides recently made by the Kano State Government to pass the Kano State Child Protection Bill, UNICEF stressed that the case further underlines the urgent need to accelerate the enactment of the Kano State Child Protection Bill so as to ensure that all children under 18, are protected – and that all children in Kano are treated in accordance with child rights standards.
UNICEF reiterated that it will continue to provide support to the Nigerian Government and Kano State Government on child protection system strengthening, including justice sector reform, to ensure that states put in place child-sensitive measures to handle cases involving children. This includes adopting alternative measures, in line with international best practice, for the treatment of children alleged to have committed offences that do not involve detention or deprivation of family care.
The 13 year old boy was sentenced with menial labour by the Kano State Sharia Court at Feli Hockey, Kano State after he was convicted of blasphemy on August 10, 2020.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
