A Shari'a Court sitting in Kano has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, to death by hanging for making blasphemous comments against Prophet Muhammad (PUBH). This judgment was passed by the presiding judge, Ibrahim Sarki Yola, during a court session on 15th December 2022 which lasted over three hours. The defendant was arraigned on 16th July 2021 by the Kano State Government on four counts charge bordering on blasphemy on Prophet Muhammad PUBH. Sarki also ordered the state government to seize all the 189 books the defendant tendered as exhibits to be taken to Kano State Library for public use, relying on section 331 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) Kano 2019.
“I hereby ordered the state government to seize the defendant’s two mosques he used in committing the offenses situated at mushe and Sabuwar Gandu and should not be used.”
Sarki-Yola also ordered the general public, radio stations, and TV stations to stop using the defendant’s preachings and pictures, especially on any social media, adding that anyone found would be prosecuted relying on section 396(2) of Kano State ACJL 2019.
He called on the general public and all Kano clerics to be careful with the word they use while preaching and translating, especially concerning Prophet Muhammad PBUH. The Prosecution Counsel, Suraj Sa’eda urged the court to sentence the defendant by finding him guilty.
He said the defendant committed the offense on August 10, October 25, and December 20, 2019, while conducting his preachings at his two mosques.
Sa’eda said that the offense contravened sections 382(b) and 375 of Kano State Sharia Law 2000 The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defense counsel, Aminu Ado-Abubakar, holding brief for Dalhatu Shehu-Usman, pleaded for leniency and urged the court to temper justice with mercy on behalf of the defendant.
The defendant told the court that he had never seen the lawyer representing him The defendant said this is my last statement “after listening to how you my Lord twisted my evidence upside down and you said I made a blasphemous comment against Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
The prosecution counsel presented four witnesses and tendered memory cards as exhibits to prove their case against the defendant.
