SHEIKH Abduljabar Nasir Kabara will celebrate this year’s Sallah festivity in police custody as he has been ordered by an Upper Sharia Court in Kano presided over by Ibrahim Sarki Yola to be remanded in police custody.
The presiding judge, Ibrahim Sarki Yola, read the charges: “That you Sheikh Nasiru Kabara also known as Abduljabbar Kabara of No 333 Sani Mainagge Quarters in Kano State between 2020 and 2021 at Filin Mushe Gwale Local Government Kano engaged in an outrageous and blasphemous preaching against the Holy Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him, his companions and his pious disciples in which you used derogatory words on the personality of the prophet which was viral on social media platforms in both videos and audio format particularly on the Facebook page of Ashabul Kahfi social media team, which shows and demonstrated serious contempt against the prophet,”
Sheikh Abduljabar said he comprehended all the charges read out to him and pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution counsel from the Ministry of Justice Kano, Aisha Mahmud Director Shari, and Principal State Counsel, Wada Ahmad Wada told the court their readiness to present their witnesses in the light of the defendant’s plea.
The presiding judge ordered Abduljabar to be remanded in police custody pending the time he will finally be taken to the Kano Correctional Centre as the court order was effected late on Friday evening.
However, the officer in charge of Legal Department SP Sunday Ekwe urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility.
“Our cells are overstretched we don’t have space to accommodate the defendant. I urge the court to remand him in a correctional facility.”
In his ruling, Mallam Ibrahim Sarki Yola said the correctional centres have already closed for the day and they will not admit the defendant.
But at Friday’s hearing, the defendants changed their pleas to ‘guilty’, having entered a plea agreement with the prosecution.
Consequently, the prosecution counsel, Aliyu Bokani Usman urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants.
However, defence counsel A.I. Na-Jirgi prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the convicts were first-time offenders and had become remorseful.
