Prosecutors urged an Islamic court in northwestern...

Prosecutors urged an Islamic court in northwestern Nigeria to throw out an appeal by a man sentenced to death by stoning for raping a young girl because his insanity claim was untenable. Prosecutors told the Sharia Court of Appeal in Dutse, Jigawa state, that Sarimu Mohammed, 50, had not shown any sign of insanity during his original trial, a defence lawyer said. Mohammed was convicted by a lower court in May of raping a nine-year-old girl after he confessed to the offence. "The prosecution argued that it is improper for Mohammed to introduce the issue of insanity at the appellate stage when he did not show signs of insanity during his trial," defence lawyer Mohammed Gausu told Reuters by telephone from Dutse. "They also argued that the speedy conclusion of the case by the lower court did not breach any provision of the law. They therefore prayed the court to uphold the judgement of the trial court."But Gausu added: "I am highly optimistic that our appeal will sail through." Should Mohammed lose the appeal, he would become the first man to be executed for rape since about a dozen states in predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria adopted the strict Islamic sharia penal code two years ago. His lawyers have based the appeal on grounds of insanity and the fact Mohammed was not given enough time to hire a defence lawyer. The case was adjourned to October 5.