APA - Lagos (Nigeria) A lower Shari’ah court in Shira local government area of Bauchi State in northern Nigeria, on Tuesday sentenced a 34-year-old female singer, Talatu Mai-Gurmi, to two months imprisonment or pay a fine of N5,000 (about US $45) for staging a traditional musical concert.

The convict was arrested by the Shari’ah Enforcement Agents, Hisba, with two other singers, Dan-Kawu Mai-Garaya and Odoji Mai-Kotso, for allegedly contravening the shariah law.

The incident occurred at Yana, headquarters of Shira local government area of Bauchi state.

Mai-Gurmi pleaded guilty to the one-count charge, while Mai-Garaya and Mai-Kotso pleaded not guilty to the offence which according to the court contravened sections 95 and 365 of the sharia penal code.

In his ruling, the Presiding Judge, Malam Garba Dan-Baba, said that the accused was convicted based on the evidence before the court as well as her voluntary confession.

The court, however, granted bail to the remaining two accused persons who pleaded not guilty and adjourned the case to 17 July, 2008.