Kano Islamic Cleric Accuses His Lawyer of N2m Bribe

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The controversial Kano State cleric, Sheik Abduljabar Nasiru Kabara, yesterday accused his lawyer, Dalhatu Shehu-Usman, of allegedly collecting N2 million to bribe the presiding Judge of an Upper Shari’a Court in Kano in his ongoing trial.

Abduljabbar is facing trial before the Sharia Court in Kano over alleged blasphemy.

The cleric is charged with four-count charges bordering on blasphemous comments against Prophet Muhammad on August 10, October 25 and December 20, 2019.

The defence counsel, Shehu-Usman, represented by Muhammad Lawan, in his prayer before the court, urged the court to allow the defendant adopt his final written addresses himself.

In adopting his final written addresses dated and filed September 20, 2022, he urged the court to dismiss the case filed by the Kano State Government against him, and order the state government to apologise to him.

According to him, “My lawyer came to the prison and told me that the Judge ordered him to collect N2 million to discharge and acquit him.

“My lawyer told me he gave the Judge N1.3 million, another person N200,000, and he (lawyer) took N500,000.”

The prosecution counsel, Mamman Lawan-Yusufari (SAN), in his final written addresses dated and filed September 22, urged the court to convict the defendant according to the law and adopt their addresses as evidence against the defendant.

The prosecutors closed their case with four witnesses to prove their case, while the defendant presented one witness, books and a memory card as evidence to prove his case.

The presiding Judge, Ibrahim Sarki-Yola, denied the allegation of receiving any bribe, adding that the judgment date would later be communicated to both parties.

The defendant was alleged to have made a blasphemous comment against Prophet Muhammad in his marriage with Nana Safiyya in Jautul Fara, Section 93 (40) and Hadith 1,365 and 1,428. Sahih-Bukhari and Muslim.

In an interview with journalists after the court session, Shehu-Usman denied the allegation of receiving bribes, saying: “I am not surprised. My client has also made some allegations against his other three sets of lawyers before.”