Blasphemy: Bauchi Sharia Court Orders Arrest Of Imam Abdul'aziz

The Upper Sharia Court of Appeal No 1 sitting in Bauchi has issued a bench warrant on Dutsen-Tanshi Jumma’at Mosque Imam, Dr Idris Abdul’aziz following his failure to appear before the court.

Abdul’aziz is standing trial before the court bordering on an alleged incitement of public disturbance of peace and blasphemy following a petition against him to the police alleging that the Imam in one of his Ramadan Tafsir sessions passed blasphemous comments against Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) and some notable Dariqa clerics.

In his ruling, the presiding judge of the court, Hussaini Turaki ruled that the imam, who was released on bail, be forced to appear before him during the next sitting of the court on June 5th.

He argued that the failure of Dr Idris to honour the court summons served on him amounted to contempt.

However, counsel to the imam, Barrister Sadiq Abubakar Ilelah, blamed an undisclosed ailment as being the chief reason Dr Idris does not appear in court.

“The imam was sick, that was why he could not attend the court sitting,” he argued.

Barrister Ilelah said they filed a motion asking the court to give them another chance for their client to appear in the next trial saying, “But the judge refused our plea that our client be given another opportunity to appear before the court, arguing that he disrespected summons of the court.”

On his part, prosecuting counsel, Aliyu bn Idris explained that the case was transferred from Magistrate Court number 1 to Upper Shariah Court of Appeal number 1 to start the case afresh

“Unfortunately, the defendant could not come to court but they have filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court. However, we argue that he is supposed to appear before the court before they move their motion.

“We applied for a bench warrant to be issued against him since he has refused to come to court and the court ruled in that favour,” he said.