The Father of a 20-year-old identified as Kamilu Ya’u, who was sentenced to death in Bauchi State by Sharia Court in Ningi Local Government Area of the state for alleged homosexuality, said his son is innocent of the offence.
The court also convicted and sentenced one Ya’u, Abdullahi Abubakar Beti (30) and Malam Haruna (70) to death by stoning on June 29, 2022.
The Hisbah Vanguard informed the court of the act, said they were arrested for committing the offense of homosexuality at Gwada village, Ningi LGA.
Mal. Ya’u Isubu Gwada, while speaking to journalists in his home, said that his son admitted to the offence under pressure as he was being beaten.
He stated further that his family did not engage the services of a legal practitioner because they do not have the means of doing so.
“My son was not among those who committed the offence of homosexuality. It was later that those arrested and implicated him to be among them. He was then arrested and charged with them,” he said.
Malam Gwada also claimed that his son was implicated because he was among the people that arrested the other two convicts.
“I am sure that it was because I participated in the arrest of the two people, they decided to implicate my son in order to get even with me.”
A visibly worried Yau Isubu said that the family is doing everything humanly possible to see to it that their son was freed before the expiration of the 30 days grace for appeal given by the court.
He, however, called on civil and human rights organisations in the country to come to the aid of his son who is innocent of the offence considering that they do not have the financial strength to pursue an appeal in a higher court.
