Safiya Hussaini Tungar Tudu was sentenced to death by stoning in October 2001 for adultery. The one-year-old daughter she had from the alleged adultery is getting married this year.Hussaini was accused of having a child with a married neighbour after her divorce. Hussaini claimed she was a victim of repeated rape by the man. The Sharia court in Sokoto state did not find the man guilty due to lack of evidence. The court dismissed her testimony and convicted her to death on October 12th 2001...
She was defended by Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim. Her lawyers argued that Hussaini's former husband was the father of her then one-year-old daughter Adama. Moreover, her defense team argued that the alleged act of adultery took place before Sharia law was implemented in Sokoto. She won her appeal on March 25th, 2002 and the case was dismissed . The Appeal Court in Sokoto found that the death sentence handed down by Sharia law had been baseless.
Faruk Muhammad Yabo, a journalist with DW Radio Hausa Service Bonne Germany, recently interviewed Hussaini.
"I've never change my faith, i am still a Muslim, those mediators only used my case to enrich themselves," she said.
" I was told at the Vatican that there would be something reasonable for me, but coming back to Nigeria, nothing has ever come to me. Since that time i repent, this kalimah "ASTAGFIRULLAH" is always in my mouth. The lady standing before me here is the baby i was carrying by then, she was one year old. Alhamdullah now she is getting married this year, only looking for what i can make her happy during her married life. I have been hearing some speculations against me, that I've changed my faith but it's not true, they have never forced me to change my religion and i have never think of doing so."
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