Claim That Sokoto Enacted Death Penalty Law For Blasphemy Is False

 

Claims that the government of Sokoto state has enacted a law approving death penalty as punishment for the offence of blasphemy is false, Sahara Reporters has revealed.

 

The claim went viral on social media yesterday.

 

According to reports and several social media posts gathered by SaharaReporters, it was claimed that the Governor Aminu Tambuwal-led Sokoto Government made the law barely five days after a student, Deborah Samuel, was lynched and burnt to death for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

 

In a post made by a Facebook user, Abdullahi Aliyu, which generated 68 likes, 14 comments and 3 shares at the time of filing this report, the claim was stated thus:

 

 

According to reports, the same claim was also shared on Twitter, garnering 248 retweets, 24 quote tweets, and 998 likes.

 

To verify this claim, SaharaReporters contacted the Sokoto State House of Assembly Clerk, Bello Ahmad, who made it known that such a law had never been passed in Sokoto.

 

"You should ask anyone who gave that kind of information their source. As far as Sokoto is concerned, the government did not make any law like this. And people should please regard it," he said.