Islamic Cleric Advocates Death Penalty for Apostasy

Controversial Stance: Death Penalty for Religious Change

Sheikh Ibrahim Jalo Jalingo, a Nigerian Islamic cleric, has publicly endorsed the death penalty for apostasy—the act of leaving Islam. In a statement written in Hausa and shared on his official Facebook page on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Jalingo cited a Hadith that prescribes capital punishment for those who abandon the Islamic faith. He also criticized individuals who question the validity of Hadith literature, labeling them as possessing “compound ignorance” .​

Jalingo’s stance aligns with traditional interpretations held by several Islamic schools of thought, including Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali, and Jafari. These schools have historically prescribed the death penalty for sane adult males who renounce Islam .​

However, there is a growing discourse among modern Islamic scholars advocating for the abolition of the death penalty for apostasy. They argue that such punishments are inconsistent with contemporary understandings of human rights and religious freedom. Some scholars suggest that apostasy should be addressed through spiritual guidance rather than legal penalties .​

In Nigeria, the issue of apostasy is particularly sensitive. While the country’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the application of Sharia law in several northern states has led to legal actions against individuals accused of apostasy or blasphemy. For instance, in 2020, Mubarak Bala, the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested and later sentenced to 24 years in prison for blasphemy, highlighting the challenges faced by nonbelievers in the region .​