By Ridwan Adekunle
A Kano cleric, Abduljabar Kabara, charged with alleged blasphemy on Thursday accused his lawyer, Dalhatu Shehu-Usman, of allegedly collecting N2 million to bribe the presiding judge of an Upper Shari’a Court Kano in his ongoing trial.
The defendant is charged with four counts bordering on blasphemous comments against Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, on Aug.10, Oct.25 and Dec. 20, 2019.
At the resumed sitting, the defence counsel, Shehu-Usman, represented by Muhammad Lawan, in his prayer urged the court to allow the defendant adopt his final written addresses himself.
The defendant, in adopting his final written addresses dated and filed September 20, urged the court to dismiss the case filed by the Kano State Government against him and order the State Government to apologise to him.
“I urge the court to adopt the written addresses as my argument in this case as evidence and my audio preaching.
“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 himself took N500,000,” he said.
The Prosecution Counsel, Mamman Lawan-Yusufari, SAN, in his final written addresses dated and filed Sept. 22, urged the court to convict the defendant according to law and adopt their addresses as evidence against the defendant.
The prosecutors closed their case with four witnesses to prove the case, while the defendant presented one witness, tender 24 books and memory card as evidence to prove his case.
The presiding judge, Ibrahim Sarki-Yola, denied the allegation of receiving any bribe.
He said that the judgment date would later be communicated to both parties.
The defendant was alleged to have made a blasphemous comment against Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, in his marriage with Nana Safiyya in Jautul Fara, Section 93 (40) and hadith 1,365 and 1,428. Sahih-Bukhari and Muslim.
Speaking to journalists after the court sitting, Mr Shehu-Usman denied the allegation of receiving bribe.
“I am not surprised. My client has also made some allegations against his other three sets of lawyers before,” Mr Shehu-Usman said.