The followers of convicted Kano cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara said they would appeal the judgment of a Kano Shari’ah Court which sentenced the cleric to death.
In a press conference in Bauchi on Tuesday, a group named Ashabul Kahfi Warraqeem, said the judgment was politically motivated because of the cleric’s constant criticism of the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Addressing the conference, the Public Relations Officer of the group, Abdullahi Musa, said, “We are not satisfied with the judgment because we believe it was influenced by the Kano State Governor Ganduje and some clerics in the state who are known to be at loggerheads with him (Abduljabbar Kabara) for a long time. They labeled false allegations of blasphemy against him to smear and eliminate him through the court.
“The allegation of blasphemy against the Sheikh is nothing but a campaign of calumny and character assassination on the popular cleric by his detractors including Ganduje and some clerics who feel threatened by Abduljabbar’s increasing popularity. Thus, they purported an allegation of blasphemy to give him a bad name and have justification for their evil plan to exterminate his life.”
“We have resolved to appeal against the judgment in a higher court of law to quash this unsatisfactory judgment and impose his fundamental human rights, especially freedom of religion and thought, as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
The NOHR had earlier reported that a Kano state Upper Shariah Court on December 15 sentenced Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara to death by hanging for blasphemy. He was arraigned in the Islamic court by the Kano state government for blasphemy, incitement, and sundry offenses.
