Yahaya Aminu Sharif has lost his appeal to overturn a death sentence over blasphemy.

A sharia court had on August 2020 ordered singer Sahrif’s death by hanging in what consider derogatory against Prophet Mohammed, but the order in an appeal by the singer was quashed by a Kano state high court in January 2021 which ordered a retrial before the Kano state upper sharia court.

However, the recent judgment by a Federal High Court in Kano has upheld the death sentence.

This is the first time that a federal court in Nigeria rules on whether or not Islamic sharia law is consistent with the secular country’s constitution.

Northern states in Nigeria have sharia courts that operate alongside common law.

Sharif’s lawyers appealed that verdict, arguing he should not be retried by another religious court.

But on Wednesday, the federal court in Kano dismissed that appeal.

“Sharia law is constitutional… The attempt by the appellants to prove the illegality of sharia law is therefore unfounded,” said judge Abubakar Mu’azu Lamido, in a 17-minute judgement read via Zoom.

“The appeal lacks merit, and the case is hereby dismissed.”

Two out of three judges backed the order for a retrial at the religious court, but the third dissented.

Sharif’s lawyer, Kola Alapinni, said the singer would appeal that ruling at the supreme court.

“It’s safe to say that we will go to the supreme court,” Alapinni told AFP.

The singer was accused of insulting the prophet in a song he shared online, which caused riots in the city.

Mobs burnt his family home and took to the streets demanding prosecution, leading to his arrest.