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| Nigeria court in Kano sentences nine people to death for blasphemy | Nigeria court in Kano sentences nine people to death for blasphemy |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| An Islamic court has sentenced nine people to death for insulting the Prophet Muhammad in the northern Nigerian city of Kano. | |
| The accused, who were all Muslims, had pleaded guilty, the head of Kano's religious police, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, told the BBC. | The accused, who were all Muslims, had pleaded guilty, the head of Kano's religious police, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, told the BBC. |
| The trial was speedily done in secret after a section of the court was burnt down by angry protesters last month. | The trial was speedily done in secret after a section of the court was burnt down by angry protesters last month. |
| It is not known if they will appeal against the sentence. | It is not known if they will appeal against the sentence. |
| The alleged offence was committed last month at a religious gathering in honour of Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese founder of the Tijaniya sect, which has a large following across West Africa. | |
| The nine, eight man and a woman, were reported to have said that "Niasse was bigger than Prophet Muhammad", triggering unrest. | |
| The venue was burnt to the ground by an angry mob and the nine were arrested, | |
| "There has been consensus among Muslims scholars that insulting the prophet carries a death sentence," Mr Daurawa told the BBC Hausa service. | "There has been consensus among Muslims scholars that insulting the prophet carries a death sentence," Mr Daurawa told the BBC Hausa service. |
| "We quickly put them on trial to avoid bloodshed because people were very angry and trying to take law into their hands," he added. | "We quickly put them on trial to avoid bloodshed because people were very angry and trying to take law into their hands," he added. |
| Kano has a predominately Muslim population and Islamic courts operate alongside secular courts. | Kano has a predominately Muslim population and Islamic courts operate alongside secular courts. |
| BBC Kano reporter Yusuf Yakasai said people celebrated in some parts of the city when news of the judgement emerged. | |
| Tijaniya at a glance | |
| The Sufi sect of Tijaniya was founded in Algeria in 1784 by Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tijani. | |
| It spread all over the world, with large following in north and west Africa. It also has followers in South Africa, Indonesia and other parts of the world. | |
| There are other Sufi sects in Islam but Tijaniya is the largest. | |
| They have three main daily practices: Asking the forgiveness of God; sending prayers to the Prophet Muhammad and affirming the Oneness of Allah. | |
| Senegalese-born Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse was credited with reviving the sect in the 20th Century. People travel from across the continent to visit his shrine. | |
| They have several factions including the Haqiqa (Realist) group, whose leaders were convicted accused of blasphemy in Kano. | |
| Several states in predominantly Muslims northern Nigeria have introduced Sharia law after the country returned to civilian rule in 1999. | Several states in predominantly Muslims northern Nigeria have introduced Sharia law after the country returned to civilian rule in 1999. |
| This is the first time a death sentence has been handed down for blasphemy in northern Nigeria. | |
| The sentence has been delivered for other offences such as adultery but none has been carried out. | The sentence has been delivered for other offences such as adultery but none has been carried out. |