Mother appeals death by stoning sentence

SINGLE mother Amina Lawal has launched an appeal against an adultery conviction that could see her become the first Nigerian to be stoned to death since the return of Islamic law.

The 31-year-old housewife has become an international symbol of the controversy surrounding the reintroduction in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north of the strict Sharia criminal law code. Yesterday, she was back in the spotlight once again, cradling her baby daughter Wasila in Katsina State’s Sharia Appeal Court before a five-strong bench of senior judges.

“This case involves life and has been prolonged, so we don’t have time for more delays,” Katsina’s top Islamic legal authority, Grand Khadi Aminu Ibrahim, told the packed courtroom.