Islamic cleric who fled Bauchi over alleged persecution faces recent fees

The Bauchi State Authorities has filed recent fees towards a well-liked Islamic cleric, Idris Abdulaziz, who campaigned towards Governor Bala Mohammed in final 12 months’s governorship election within the state.

Mr Abdulaziz supported Mr Muhammad’s predominant opponent, Abubakar Sadiq of the All Progressives Congress (APC), within the 18 March 2023 election.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Abdulaziz’s lawyer, Ahmad Musa, mentioned the cleric fled into exile after safety brokers raided his Dutsen Tanshi residence within the Bauchi metropolis on 24 January to execute a search warrant.

“Abdulaziz left Bauchi State to flee persecution and arbitrary arrest and detention by the Bauchi authorities following trumped-up fees accusing him of committing blasphemy towards non secular creed. He has efficiently left Bauchi to a protected place,” the lawyer earlier informed PREMIUM TIMES.

On Monday, the state authorities by the workplace of the State Lawyer-Basic and Commissioner for Justice, Hassan El-Yakub, filed recent fees at a chief Justice of the Peace’s court docket in Bauchi, towards Mr Abdulaziz.

The recent fees accused Mr Abdulaziz of “Inciting disturbances, insulting or inciting contempt of non secular creed”. The cleric has denied any wrongdoing.

The listening to discover for the recent case towards Mr Abdulaziz was pasted at his residence located at Dusten Tanshi, within the Bauchi metropolis. In accordance with the court docket paperwork, the case was arising on Tuesday (sixth February).

Mr Abdulaziz’s lawyer, Ahmad Musa, on Tuesday, mentioned the brand new fees comprise the identical allegations being tried on the Higher Sharia Courtroom 1, Bauchi after Mr Abdulaziz was first arraigned final April.

“The case went from the Higher Sharia Courtroom 1, Bauchi state to Excessive Courtroom, Bauchi and now it’s correctly earlier than the Courtroom of Enchantment, Jos Division”, Mr Musa mentioned.

The lawyer alleged that the brand new twist within the case towards his shopper has allegedly uncovered the political witch-hunt of the state authorities utilizing the state judicial department to persecute Mr Abdulaziz. However a state counsel on the case, UB Babayo, mentioned the state was nonetheless prosecuting Mr Abdulaziz as a result of he was but to maneuver a movement regarding an enchantment he claimed to have filed in Jos.

“The state authorities has not acquired any notification from Mr Abdulaziz that he has appealed his case, thus, the state is continuous with the prosecution of Mr. Abdulaziz like another Nigerian”, Mr Babayo mentioned.

“It’s public data that the case of our shopper Dr. Imam Idris AbdulAziz of Dutsen Tanshi, Bauchi was filed initially at Chief Justice of the Peace Courtroom 1, Bauchi state by the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi earlier than it was later taken over by the State Lawyer Basic and Commissioner for Justice, Hassan El-Yakub, SAN.

“To diligently pursue his enchantment and save himself from the political witch-hunt of the state governor utilizing the state judicial department to execute, we filed, on behalf of our shopper, a movement for a keep of proceedings on the Courtroom of Enchantment (Jos Division). The method aimed to cease the decide of the Higher Sharia Courtroom 1, Bauchi, Hussaini Turaki from persevering with with the case pending dedication of the enchantment on the Courtroom of Enchantment, Mr Musa mentioned.

Mr Musa mentioned the case additionally suffers delay on the Enchantment Courtroom in Jos.

“The date for the movement was set for Wednesday seventh February, 2024 and all of the events concerned have been duly served with the listening to notices. Nonetheless, late on Friday 2nd February 2024, I acquired a discover of cancellation of the listening to of the movement from an official of the Courtroom of Enchantment with no different scheduled date for the listening to of the movement for now. This brings the cancellations of the listening to of the movement to the 4th time.

“In an egregious case of abuse of judicial course of and present of determined effort to additional flout the constitutional rights of our shopper in serving the soiled political curiosity of the governor, the state Lawyer Basic and Commissioner for Justice, Hassan El-Yakub, SAN filed yet one more frivolous legal criticism towards Dr Imam Idris AbdulAziz at Chief Justice of the Peace Courtroom, Bauchi.

“How this case is being dealt with; the extent of abuse and politicization of judicial processes in Bauchi state is sort of alarming and embarrassing for a state claiming to be “democratic.” It’s extra alarming that the scenes of the abuses are being directed by a realized silk, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who should uphold the ideas of human rights and assist in the event of authorized techniques!” Mr Musa mentioned.

Mr Abdulaziz’s ordeals started final April when he informed a gathering that he doesn’t want the help of any particular person when in troublesome instances, not even Prophet Muhammad, however solely God.

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“In troublesome instances I don’t want the help of Ibrahim Niase, Abdulkadir Jelani, Ahmad Tijjani (Sufi students), and even Prophet Muhammad aside from Allah,” Mr Abdulaziz, a robust Sunni Muslim mentioned in his lecture on the oneness of God.

The feedback generated controversy within the state and past. Whereas his brethren within the Sunni sect supported him, a few of his rivals from the Sufi sect have known as for his prosecution, accusing him of disrespecting a non secular creed. The state authorities subsequently took over the case and prosecuted Mr Abdulaziz.