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Blasphemy Case: Sheikh Kabara's Absence Leads to Hearing Notice |
Sheikh Abduljabbar and his lawyer, Sadiq Yusuf, were not present when their case was addressed in court.
The Appeal Division of the Kano State High Court has ordered a hearing notice to be served to Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara, a cleric from Kano who received a death sentence for blasphemy.
Sheikh Abduljabbar and his lawyer, Sadiq Yusuf, were not present when their case was addressed in court.
The appeal panel, led by Justices Nasiru Saminu and Aisha Mahmoud, recalled the decision from December 15, 2022, by an Upper Shari’a Court sentencing Abduljabbar to death. Following a request from the Kano State government, they instructed that a hearing notice be issued to the cleric.
The panel also agreed to the respondent's request for more time and postponed the case to May 14 for continuation. State attorney Bashir Saleh noted the absence of Sheikh Abduljabbar and his counsel and asked for the hearing notice to be delivered to the appellant's lawyer.
Saleh also introduced two time extension requests, dated May 5, and presented a counter affidavit with seven paragraphs by Abdulhadi Garko, endorsing the state's application for more time.
Saleh emphasized the necessity of serving the hearing notice due to the appellant's counsel's absence, mentioning that he had promised to file his counter affidavit on that day.
Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara has appealed against the lower court's (Upper Shari’a) proceedings at the Kano State High Court's Appeal Division. He is also seeking an interpretation of sections 275 and 375 of the Kano State Shari’a Penal Code Law 2000, which relate to his blasphemy conviction.
