By Muhammad Sabiu
Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, who is on trial for alleged blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), claims that his attorney, Dalhatu Shehu Usman, received N2 million as bribe to influence the Upper Shari’a court judge presiding over the case.
During the resumption of the meeting, the defense counsel, Dalhatu Shehu Usman, who was represented by Mr. Muhammad Lawan, pleaded with the court to permit the defendant to adopt his final written remarks on his own behalf.
In adopting his last written arguments, dated and submitted on September 20, the defendant asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the Kano State Government against him and direct the state to issue an apology to him.
“I urge the court to adopt the written addresses as my argument in this case and evidence, my audio preachings.”
Kabara continued to claim that the attorney chosen by the court to represent him had amassed N2 million to bribe the judge, stating the attorney had come to the prison and informed him that the judge had instructed him to do so in order to release and exonerate the defendant.
“My lawyer told me he gave the judge N1.3 million, another person N200,000 and he himself took N500,000.”
In his final written arguments, Mamman Lawan-Yusufari SAN, the prosecution’s attorney, pleaded with the court to find the defendant guilty in accordance with the law and accept their arguments as evidence against him in a document dated and filed on September 22.
The defense presented one witness and offered 24 books and a memory card as proof, while the prosecution rested its case on the testimony of four witnesses.
Malam Ibrahim Sarki-Yola, the preeminent judge, refuted the claim that he accepted a bribe.
He stated that both parties would later be informed of the judgment date.
After the court session, Shehu Usman spoke to reporters and refuted the claim that he had accepted the sum of N2 million as a bribe.
Shehu added, “I am not surprised, my client had also made some allegations against his other three sets of lawyers before.”
