US Urges Nigeria to Release Singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu Over Blasphemy Case

The United States government has called on Nigerian authorities to release Sufi Muslim singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who has been detained in Kano State since 2020 over blasphemy charges.

Sharif-Aminu’s case has attracted international attention following his conviction and death sentence by a Kano State Sharia court in 2020.

However, the Kano State High Court overturned the death sentence in January 2021 and ordered a retrial, citing procedural irregularities in the original proceedings.

The court noted that Sharif-Aminu had not been provided with legal representation during his trial.

The legal battle continued, with the Supreme Court allowing his appeal against the retrial order to proceed in September 2025.

Despite the development, the singer’s case remains unresolved, and he has continued to be detained since his arrest in 2020.

The US government’s call for his release has renewed attention on the case and raised fresh questions about his prolonged detention and the legal process surrounding the blasphemy allegations.