Prominent Kano-based Islamic cleric, Abduljabbar Kabara, has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, alleging that judicial and government authorities systematically obstructed his right to appeal his death sentence.

PREMIUM TIMES obtained a 14-page “Letter of Further Complaint” received by the Supreme Court on 26 March, in which Mr Kabara described his conviction as an unjust, politically motivated attempt to silence him.

The cleric was sentenced to death by hanging in December 2022 by a Kano Upper Sharia Court following remarks deemed blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

In the petition, Mr Kabara claimed that his attempts to challenge the 2022 verdict have been “deliberately frustrated.”

Despite filing a notice of appeal shortly after the judgement and submitting additional motions in 2024, he alleged that the judiciary stalled the process and tampered with his filings.

The petitioner further accused certain appellate judges of altering dates and misrepresenting his submissions to favour the Kano State Government.

Mr Kabara added that the handling of his trial violates Section 38(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Kano Judiciary responds

Responding to allegations, Baba Jibo, the spokesperson for the Kano Judiciary, stated that the cleric’s claims are inconsistent with the facts.

Mr Jibo stated that Mr Kabara was provided with ample opportunity to file his appeal within the legal timeframe.

According to the spokesperson, the cleric’s legal counsel met with him during his detention in Kano to ensure he was fully informed of every procedural step.

Mr Jibo added that the filing dates and legal strategies were established with the cleric’s explicit consent; therefore, the judiciary cannot be held responsible for any purported lapses in the appellate process as claimed by the cleric.

Revolutionary plot

The cleric’s petition also introduced startling claims of a “revolutionary plot.”

Mr Kabara alleged his legal ordeal began after he refused to cooperate with powerful domestic and international figures who sought to position him as a revolutionary religious leader, akin to late Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini.

He recounted alleged meetings with Iranian envoys and Nigerian officials who reportedly attempted to recruit him into a foreign-backed agenda, offering contracts worth up to ₦500 million.

Mr Kabara further alleged he was once deceived into consuming a “mixed liquid” intended to facilitate this transformation.

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Moved from Kano correctional facility to the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje, Abuja, in what officials described as “security reasons,” Mr Kabara concluded his petition by urging the CJN to intervene.

He maintained his innocence, describing himself as a patriot and warning that his death sentence is the result of a “flawed judgement” and a grave miscarriage of justice.

The prosecution

The prosecution’s case rested on audio recordings of Mr Kabara’s lectures. The court found that he had misinterpreted certain Hadiths (traditions of the Prophet) in a manner considered insulting to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), prompting a heated debate in Kano and beyond.

However, Mr Kabara insisted that he was merely debating theological points based on classical Islamic texts.

Before his arrest, the Kano State Government organised a formal “man-to-man” debate between Mr Kabara and other rival mainstream Islamic scholars in July 2021, as he requested.

The presiding judge in that debate concluded that Mr Kabara failed to defend his positions, paving the way for his subsequent arrest and trial.

Kano Islamic cleric sentenced to death for blasphemy appeals to CJN

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