Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, an Islamic cleric, should be released immediately, according to Nigerian activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore, who claims that Kano State officials are persecuting him because of his religion.
Sowore stated that he had intended to see the cleric in prison but was troubled by the circumstances surrounding his incarceration in a post on his verified social media account.
He wrote, “It is heartbreaking and completely unacceptable that a religious scholar stays behind bars just because his teachings or interpretations differ from those preferred by those in power in Kano State.”
Recall that on December 15, 2022, an Upper Shari’a Court in Kano, presided over by Malam Ibrahim Sarki Yola, condemned Abduljabbar to death by hanging for blasphemy.
The Kano State Government filed four charges against the preacher for making derogatory remarks regarding Prophet Muhammad SAW on August 10, October 25, and December 20, 2019.
Nigeria must stop taking acts that stifle religious beliefs, according to Sowore.
He declared, “The period of religious persecution in Nigeria must end now.”
He called on human rights organizations and federal authorities to intervene.
Additionally, he cautioned that Kabara’s prolonged arrest compromises the nation’s commitment to justice and freedom of speech, noting that no democracy can endure when the government determines which religious beliefs are acceptable.
