A LARGE crowd packed into an Islamic court in northern Nigeria to watch as two men found guilty of drinking alcohol were given 80 lashes each. The crowd burst into chants of “Allahu Akbar” (“God is Great”) as the men, 22-year-old Nugu Abdullahi and 63-year-old Sa’adu Aminu, were given their punishment. Since the introduction of Sharia law, one man has had his hand amputated, several people have been flogged and in a contentious case in Zamfara State, a court has sentenced a 17-year-old girl to 180 lashes after she was found to be pregnant while unmarried. – AFP