An Upper Sharia Court, Kofar Kudu in Kano has adjourned the case of Kano Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, to August 18.
The Qadiriyya movement leader was charged before the court on July 16 over allegations of blasphemy and incitement. The cleric has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
After the arraignment, the presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Sarki Yola, ordered that he be remanded in prison custody.
When the hearing resumed on Wednesday, the prosecutor, Aisha Mahmud, told the court to further adjourn the case to avail the state more time to prepare its case and bring all witnesses to court.
In his response, the cleric’s lead counsel, Sale Bakaro, argued that his client had been incarcerated for 12 days and it was unfortunate that the prosecutors did not prepare the charges against him within this period.
The lawyer added that there were deliberate attempts to delay the trial.
Bakaro then asked the prosecution to provide them with their witnesses’ names, evidence, references, addresses as well as brief statements and a copy of the defendant’s statement to the police.
The defendant’s counsel also demanded for the alleged blasphemous audio, video, photographs or other documents to be used in court be provided to them before the hearing as provided for by the law.
The prosecutor, however, urged the court to adjourn the case to August 25 to enable them put their house in order but Abduljabbar’s lawyer asked the court to adjourn to August 11.
In his ruling, Justice Yola adjourned the case to August 18 and ordered that the cleric continued to be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS).
