Release International

A Nigerian father-of-six has been freed from jail early after an appeal court ruled his conviction for blasphemy by a Sharia court was unsafe.

Sani Kibili walked free after a long legal battle to secure his release – and a ruling that his original conviction in October 2007 was based on insufficient evidence.

A Sharia or Islamic court in Kano town, Kano state, sentenced Sani to three years in jail, after three men accused him of blaspheming Islam's prophet Mohammed.

Sani's lawyer, who was appointed by religious rights charity Open Doors UK, issued a statement saying that, as a Christian, Sani should not have been tried in a Sharia court without his permission. His lawyer added that the trial was 'riddled with irregularities'.

Sani, who is 55, has since said that he faced a great deal of hostility from Muslim inmates in the prison – but that he used the opportunity to tell many people about his faith.

'God never makes a mistake,' Sani said. 'His work in our lives is perfect. He took me to school and I learned so much.'

(Sources: Assist News Service, Open Doors UK)

Praise God for the early release of Sani Kibili. Pray that he will be allowed to live in peace and in safety with his family now.

Continue to pray for the church in Nigeria's northern Sharia states: Christians are under pressure to conform to strict Islamic law and to end their church activities.

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