50. Among other provisions, these sharia penal codes provide for a mandatory death penalty as Hadd punishments for criminal offences such as zina, rape, sodomy and incest.

73. Despite this obligation under international law, the Special Rapporteur notes with great concern that Nigerian sharia penal codes provide for death sentences for offences which do not fall into the category of the “most serious crimes”. Such a position has been taken by other United Nations human rights mechanisms, including with regard to Nigeria.

Link to full text of the report: Mission report-SR Freedom of Religion-Nigeria-2005-eng