Governor Ahmed Sani of Nigeria's northern state of...

Governor Ahmed Sani of Nigeria's northern state of Zamfara, who pioneered the introduction of the Sharia Islamic legal code in the country, downplayed Italy's recent honour of a Nigerian woman who was sentenced to death for adultery.Safiya Husseini Tungar-Tundu, a divorcee whose death-by-stoning sentence was upturned by a higher court in Sokoto earlier in the year, became a symbol of the widespread opposition to the strict law when she was made an honorary citizen of Rome.The ceremony in which she was conferred with the honour was well publicised by the Nigerian media, with photographs of a jubilant Safiya adorning the front page of most national newspapers."If they (Italy) like, they can take all the adulterers from us here," Sani said in an interview, adding "we would be happy, and we would even give them money to accommodate all of them there."Taking a swipe at Italy, the Governor said he was not surprised that the European country had chosen to honour a convicted adulterer."Taking Safiya to Rome was part of the gimmick of Christianity. It is not surprising for us to see that she was taken to Rome because I read a long time ago that there are a lot of prostitutes in Rome," he said.A growing number of men and women in the 12 predominantly Muslim states practising the Sharia in Nigeria have been sentenced to death by stoning either for adultery or rape, attracting a global outcry against such harsh prescriptions for offences under the Islamic law.Aminat Lawal, a 30-year old woman currently on death row after her appeal against a death-by-stoning sentence was turned down by a higher court, has become the new rallying point for those opposed to the law.