Nigerian president silent over order to stone woman to death

THE Nigerian government yesterday remained silent over an Islamic court ruling a single mother should be stoned to death, despite growing international pressure to overturn the sentence.

A spokesman for President Olusegun Obasanjo declined to comment on the verdict or the resulting protests. “We are watching the situation,” said Tunji Oseni.

An Islamic court in the northern town of Funtua rejected an appeal on Monday by Amina Lawal, 30, against the death sentence for having sex outside marriage.