Sheikh Abduljabbar’s lawyers withdraw from blasphemy case

By LUBABATU GARBA

The team of lawyers representing Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabiru in the ongoing blasphemy case against the controversial Kano-based Islamic cleric has withdrawn their representation.

Led by Haruna Magashi, the lawyers applied to withdraw from the case, on Thursday, at the resumed hearing before the Upper Sharia Court in Kofar-Kudu, Kano metropolis.

The trial judge, Ibrahim Sarki Yola, granted their application, after which Abduljabbar asked the court to give him time to get new lawyers.

The judge granted the cleric’s plea and adjourned the case to September 30.

Earlier, the court received a medical report from Murtala Mohammed Hospital and Kano State Psychiatric Hospital, Dawanau on the hearing and mental health of the cleric.

Both report, according to the court, indicated that the cleric’s does not have any hearing challenge nor any mental case.

Daily Trust reports that the court had at the last sitting ordered the cleric to be subjected to the tests following the cleric’s refusal to answer all the new charges against him by the state government.

Justice Sarki-Yola ordered that the cleric be examined by a psychiatrist at Dawanau Psychiatric Hospital in the state for check on his mental health, as well as by an audiologist at Murtala Muhammad Specialists Hospital, to find out why he was mum to all the new charges read before him.

Prosecution counsel, Surajo Sa’ida, had earlier read four new count charges against the cleric bothering on blasphemy and using offensive words on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during his teachings, which according to him, are against the provisions of section 382(b) of Kano State Shari’ah Law, 2000. (Daily Trust)