- …vows to appeal the judgement
- …alleges judgment influenced by Ganduje other clerics
An Islamic association, As’habul Kahfi Warraqeem, Bauchi State chapter, founded by Sheikh Abdul-Jabbar Nasiru Kabara has expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment of a Shari’ah court that sentenced him to death by hanging.
The group alleged that the judgement was influenced by Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and some clerics in the state who are known to be at loggerheads with him for a longtime.
The group, made up of followers of Sheikh Abdul-Jabbar, addressed journalists in Bauchi on Monday through its PRO, Abdullahi Musa.
He stated that the allegation of blasphemy against the Sheikh is nothing but campaign of calumny and character assassination on the popular cleric by his detractors.
He added that they have resolved to appeal against the judgment in a higher court to quash the judgement and impose his fundamental right.
“We, the members of the above named organization are followers of the Kano State Islamic Cleric, Sheikh (Dr.) Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara.
“We are here to inform the world through you the journalists, our stand on the recent judgment on our leader Sheikh Abduljabbar by a Kano Shari’ah Court that passed death sentence on the Cleric.
“The allegation of blasphemy against the Sheikh is nothing but campaign of calumny and character assassination on the popular cleric by his detractors including Ganduje and some clerics who feel threatened by Abduljabbari’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,” the group added.
“We call on the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, National and International Human rights Organizations and Human Rights Lawyers like the revered Human Rights Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, respected Human Rights Activist, Ahmad Isa – Ordinary President, and others to join us counter this unfair and unjustified gang up against our religious leader by providing legal aid to the Sheikh Abduljabbar”
“Kano State Government and the hostile clerics to Abduljabbar have teamed up to exterminate his life for an offense he has been pleading not guilty to. He and we don’t have the strength to protect him in the court alone, hence our call for legal aid from human rights individuals and organizations to bring us succor.”
“We noticed that some of the sects who now ganged up to eliminate Abduljabbar were the ones who committed series of blasphemies in their preaching but nothing was done to them and they continue to practice their religion without hindrance.
“The judgment was politically processed by Governor Ganduje because he (Abduljabbar) was so critical of Governor Ganduje’s corruption and he did not support him.”
The group said the judgment is totally wrong and un-Islamic, “therefore we reject because the judgment was negatively manipulated from the beginning to the end”
