Usman Umaru, father of Fatimah Usman, a woman sentenced...

Usman Umaru, father of Fatimah Usman, a woman sentenced to death by stoning along with her lover for adultery, accused the trial Judge of demanding and receiving 8,900 Naira (about $71) bribe from him. Usman Umaru, alleged that Upper Sharia Court Judge, Abdulrahman Tundun-Fulani, collected the money at various times when approached for assistance in withdrawing the case and also to counsel Fatimah and his lover, Ahmadu Ibarahim. Umaru said he was shocked that despite taking the money, the Judge went ahead to sentence the lovers to five years' jail sentence each or a fine of 15,000 Naira ($120). The case, however, took a new turn when the angry father protested the judgement to the State High Court Registrar, who then advised the Judge that the penalty for adultery under the Sharia is death by stoning. The Judge promptly summoned the convicts, who were by then serving their jail terms, and passed the death sentence on them.