Blasphemy: Followers allege gang-up against Kano cleric on death row
A group of followers of controversial Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, who was sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy against the prophet of Islam, have alleged a gana-up against the cleric.
This was made known by the Sheikh’s supporters while speaking with newsmen at the NUJ Press Centre in Kano on Sunday, noting that same clerics who was responsible for his arraignment was the still issuing a threat to incoming administration in the state to frustrate the appeal in the court.
The Sharia Court in Kano had sentenced Sheikh to death by hanging, but his followers have since filed an appeal before a High Court of Justice for their dissatisfaction with the previous judgment in line with the right of appeal enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Ibrahim Abdullahi Warure who spoke onbehalf of the followers, said it had come to their notice that “the same clerics who ganged up to make the first allegations” that caused Sheikh Abduljabbar’s arraignment in court are now issuing threats to the incoming administration of Kano State and the court where the appeal was filed that they dare not release him.
They claimed that the adversaries of the Sheikh are threatening government and the court obstruct judgement, warning them to allow justice to prevail in Sheikh Abduljabbar’s case.
“We condemn their endemic campaign of calumny against our revered sheikh and their threat to the court, which we consider contempt of court and government.
“We also view it as a sinister plan to disrupt the peace of the state and country, should Sheikh Abduljabbar eventually triumph in court,” Warure stated.
The group, however, charged security agencies and relevant authorities to “call the unscrupulous clerics to order by asking them to desist from these hate speeches against us and our religious leader, for we are [also] bona fide citizens of this country.”