They described the death sentence passed on the cleric as a miscarriage of justice by the Upper Sharia Court.
As reactions continue to trail the judgment of the Sharia Court in Kano State that convicted Sheikh Nasiru Abduljabar after it found him guilty of spreading lies about the prophet of Islam and making inciting preaching, members of a religious organisation, As’habul Kahfi Warraqeem, Bauchi State Chapter have vowed to appeal against the Court decision.
The group, who are followers of the Kano State Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar, described death sentence passed on the cleric as a miscarriage of justice by the Upper Sharia Court.
SaharaReporters had reported penultimate Thursday that a Sharia court in Kano convicted Sheikh Abduljabar after it found him guilty of spreading lies about the prophet of Islam and making inciteful preaching – a charge Sheikh Abduljabar denied.
Addressing journalists in Bauchi on Monday, the group said it had resolved to appeal against the judgment in a higher court of law to quash judgment which violates Sheikh Abduljabar's fundamental human rights, especially on freedom of religion and thought as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
A text of the briefing titled "The Satanic Gang-up and the Kano State Sharia Court Judgment on our spiritual leader, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara," signed by the group's Spokesman, Abdullahi Musa, said 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.”
They solicited the support of human rights organisation and defenders of human rights and civilisation to join hands with them to fight against the unfair and unjustified gang up against their religious leader by providing legal aid to the Sheikh Abduljabbar.
The address partly read, “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.
“We have resolved to appeal against the judgment in a higher court of law to quash this unsatisfactory judgment and impose his fundamental human rights, especially of freedom of religion and thought as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
“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.”
It added, “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.
“We call on the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, National and International Human rights Organisations 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 the offence he has been pleading not guilty. 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 organisations to bring us succour.”
The group led by the State Chairman, Musa Santuraki Pali alleged, “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 practise 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.
“Finally, the purported un-Islamic so-called judgment by Ibrahim Sarki Yola is totally wrong and un-Islamic, therefore we reject because the judgment was negatively manipulated from t beginning to the end.”