Nigeria: ‘Shia’ Islamic cleric sentenced to loss of life for blasphemy

On Thursday (December 15), a 52-year-old Islamic preacher by the identify of Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara was sentenced to loss of life in Nigeria for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad.

As per reviews, the punishment was handed to him by an higher Sharia court docket within the Nigerian metropolis of Kano. Abduljabbar had allegedly dedicated blasphemy throughout one among his preachings at his mosque.

According to the prosecution, the Islamic preacher had allegedly violated Sections 375, and 382 of the Kano State Sharia Penal Code Law, 2000. They claimed that his ‘blasphemous video’ went viral on social media.

BREAKING: Nigerian Islamic Cleric, Abduljabbar Kabara Sentenced To Death By Hanging For Blasphemy | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/FSte2gnX7H pic.twitter.com/pAKQQkG2DM

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 15, 2022

While listening to the matter, Justice Ibrahim Sarki Yola of the Kano Sharia court docket claimed that Abduljabbar had didn’t defend himself, regardless of being supplied with ‘enough time.’

“I, Ibrahim Sarki Yola, Upper Sharia Court Judge City Number One, found you, Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, committing an act contrary to section 283 (B) of Kano State Sharia Penal Code Law 2000, I, therefore, sentence you to death by hanging,” the choose declared.

“The prosecutors also convinced the court that the accused person deliberately interpreted the religious books and fabricated the blasphemous comments against the Holy Prophet Muhammad,” he additional mentioned.

Moment drama ensued throughout Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara court docket sentencing in Kano pic.twitter.com/UUWaKReImx

— Daily Trust (@daily_trust) December 15, 2022

“I similarly order the total closure of your mosques located at Filin Mushe Gwale LGA and Jamiurrasul located at Sharada,” he added. The choose additionally put a ban on enjoying his sermons on radio stations and ordered the confiscation of his 189 books.

Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara accused the choose of being unfair and challenged him to sentence him to loss of life. He mentioned, “You Ibrahim Sarki Sani Yola, changed the whole narration about the case go ahead and sentence me to death, I will die honourably meeting my God.”

“And I am pleading to my followers not to worry about the sentencing as I will die as a righteous person,” he remarked whereas his lawyer desperately tried to make emotional appeals to Justice Ibrahim Sarki Sani Yola.

Islamic cleric had held Shia scriptures superior to Sunni counterparts

As per a report by Daily Trust, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara belongs to the Qadiriyya Islamic sect and is thought to be a distinguished Sunni scholar in Nigeria.

However, as early as 2020, he expressed his inclination in the direction of being a Shia. “After a thoroughly long time research which I have made by myself, I realized that Shi’a has more scriptural evidence over Sunni…” he informed the BBC.

“I will not bother myself if you call me a Shi’a, but I’ll be concerned with calling me a Sunni,” the Islamic scholar on loss of life row had mentioned 2 years in the past.

Yadda aka yi zaman yanke wa Abduljabbar Kabara hukunci a kotu. pic.twitter.com/qnOmUJ7kbo

— BBC News Hausa (@bbchausa) December 15, 2022

Reportedly, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara had alleged on a number of events that among the Hadiths (teachings of Prophet Muhammad), as narrated by different Islamic students, are both inaccurate or false.

Last 12 months, he was held captive by the Kano State authorities, following complaints by students from different Islamic sects within the nation. By then, he had 9 instances of blasphemy registered in opposition to him.

Following public outcry over the matter, a debate was organised between Abduljabbar and different Islamic students on July 10, 2021. The chairman of the talk concluded that the Islamic scholar was unable to reply a single query posed by different students.

He was thereafter remanded in custody once more. Abduljabbar is the son of a distinguished chief of Qadariyya Islamic Movement in West Africa named Nasiru Kabara. He has now 30 days to attraction in opposition to the loss of life penalty, which was handed out to him.