Riley M. Barnes, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, made the appeal in his written testimony before the Africa Subcommittee of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
In the testimony titled “One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt”, Barnes said Washington was pressing Nigerian authorities to release the singer and end the enforcement of blasphemy laws.
“We are actively pressing the Government of Nigeria and calling for the release of Sufi singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who sits on death row over blasphemy charges. We continue to urge the government to cease enforcement of blasphemy laws,” he said.
Barnes described the continued prosecution of people over alleged blasphemy as another troubling situation in Nigeria, saying state-level officials continued to prosecute individuals over perceived insults to Islam, including peaceful speech.
He said Sharia penal codes were enforced in 12 Nigerian states and urged the government to repeal blasphemy laws or, at the minimum, stop enforcing them.
Sharif-Aminu was arrested in March 2020 after sharing a song he had composed in a WhatsApp group. The lyrics were considered blasphemous by some members of the Muslim community, and his family home was subsequently burnt by a mob.
A Sharia court in Kano convicted him and sentenced him to death by hanging in August 2020. However, the Kano State High Court overturned the conviction in January 2021 over procedural irregularities, including the absence of legal representation during the trial, and ordered a retrial.
The retrial order was upheld by the Court of Appeal in August 2022. Sharif-Aminu subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, which allowed his appeal to proceed in September 2025. His case remains unresolved.
In his testimony, Barnes also said the US would continue pressing Nigeria to address attacks and violence, adding that Washington would measure progress by reductions in attacks and violence and by efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.
