A Nigerian man who was sentenced to death by stoning for raping a nine-year-old girl withdrew his confession today, claiming police beat it out of him.
Mr Sarimu Mohammed, 54, is appealing against a sentence that could see him become the first Nigerian to be stoned to death since 12 northern states controversially reintroduced Islamic Sharia law.
The case has generated controversy around the world. Jigawa state officials said last week they had received more than 1,000 letters urging them to commute the death sentence.
Sarimu was convicted of raping the girl in May and sentenced under Islamic law to be stoned to death. He has now appealed and is pleading insanity.
The prosecution argued that as the insanity claim had not been made at the first trial - at which Sarimu was not legally represented - it could not be introduced on appeal without a separate court motion. Defence lawyer Mr Mohammed Gausu, who battled to have the case reopened after Sarimu initially ignored offers of an appeal, urged the judge not to delay the case on such a technicality.
The judge adjourned the case until October 22nd, when he will rule on whether to allow Sarimu to retract his confession.
Along with three other outstanding stoning sentences - imposed on adultery charges against a young single mother and a pair of unmarried ex-lovers - the case has raised concerns over the application of Sharia justice in several Nigerian states.
Many believe that Sharia, with its tough array of punishments such as amputation and stoning, is out of step with Nigeria's traditions and new-born democracy. Even some of the code's supporters are concerned its implementation has been mishandled.
Nigeria's federal government has said it opposes stoning sentences but has so far made no attempt to legally challenge the mainly Muslim northern states over the code's implementation.
AFP