A renowned Islamic organisation, As’habul Kahfi Warraqeen, has indicated plans to appeal the death sentence passed by Justice Ibrahim Sarki Yola of Kano State on Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara.
Through its Bauchi State chapter, the group alleged that the judgement was manipulated from the start to the end.
Its public relations officer, Abdullahi Musa, told a press conference in Bauchi yesterday that the judgement was politically motivated by the state
government because Kabara was critical of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration.
Consequently, Musa said the Islamic group had resolved to appeal against the judgement at a higher court of law to quash “this unsatisfactory judgment and restore his fundamental human rights especially of freedom of religion and thought as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
“We notice that some of the sects who now ganged up to eliminate Abduljabbar Kabara were the ones who committed a series of blasphemies in their preaching but nothing was done to them and they continue to practice their religion without hindrance,” Musa said.
He named some blasphemers who were untouched “but because they are close to the people in power while our spiritual leader who is innocent is now facing persecution.
“First of all, we are not satisfied with the judgment because we believe it was influenced by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and some clerics in the state who are known to be at loggerheads with him for a long time. They therefore ganged up against him and labelled false allegations of blasphemy against him in order to smear him and eliminate him through the court,” Musa said.
According to him, the allegation of blasphemy against the sheikh was nothing but a campaign of calumny and character assassination by his detractors including Ganduje and some clerics who feel threatened by Abduljabbari’s increasing popularity.
Malam Abdullahi Musa said that the detractors purported an allegation of blasphemy to give Abduljabbar a bad name and have justification for their evil plan to exterminate his life.
