Abduljabar Kabara, a Kano cleric charged with blasphemy, 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 of making blasphemous remarks about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on August 10, October 25, and December 20, 2019.
In his prayer at the resumed hearing, defence counsel Shehu-Usman, represented by Mr Muhammad Lawan, urged the court to allow the defendant to adopt his final written addresses himself.
In his final written addresses, dated and filed September 20, the defendant 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 me.
“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, Mr Mamman Lawan-Yusufari, SAN, in his final written addresses dated and filed Sept. 22, urged the court convict the defendant according to law and adopt their addresses as evidence against the defendant.
The prosecutor close their case with four witnesses to prove their case, while the defendant presented one witness, tender 24 books and memory card a evidence to prove his case.
The presiding judge, Malam 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 newsmen after the court sitting, 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” Shehu-Usman said.