The Kano State Police Command has said that it invited Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara to appear before and answer some questions based on a report against him by a scholar.
The invitation is coming two days after a debate/dialogue held between Sheikh Abduljabbar and Kano Islamic scholars.
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But the Kano police spokesman, DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the invitation of Abduljabbar has nothing to do with the debate which was organized by the state government after Kano clerics accused him of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
“This invitation has nothing to do with the just concluded debate. Long before the sitting we have received complaints against him (Abduljabbar) from some scholars, which we have since started investigating,” Kiyawa said.
“The date was also fixed for the continuation of investigation and the day happens to be today,” he added.
Chairman of Izala in Kano, Sheikh Saleh Pakistan, was the one who lodged a complaint accusing Abduljabbar of threatening his life. He lodged the complaint since February, and Abduljabbar has been appearing before the police from time to time.
The invitation this time around was sent since Friday, but Abduljabbar pleaded for postponement because of the debate/dialogue that held Saturday, promising to report himself to the police on Monda.
Sheikh Pakistan told the BBC Hausa that the threat to his life by Abduljabbar was made about a year ago.
“There was this message being shared on social media where he (Abduljabbar) said I should be killed. I asked some of his associated and they confirmed to me that he threat was made in their presence.
When asked how he concluded that he was the target of the message, Pakistan responded, “He called my name publicly.”
“Initially, I didn’t want to report the matter, because he even did it to the Prophet (SAW). But experts advised me to lodge a complaint because the two are different. This one involves life and death.”
He said he first went to court but the court referred the case to the police pending the conclusion of investigation.
“When the judiciary went on strike, the matter died down. It resurrected after they resumed work. I believe when they are through with him, they will also invite me to state my own side of the story, he added.
When asked whether he reached out to Sheikh Abduljabbar before filing the case, he said “I didn’t because of his penchant for insults and disrespect.”
On Abduljabbar’s seeking for forgiveness, Pakistan said that cannot extend to their own case. “His apology is not related to this. I won’t go into the details because the matter is already in court.
Attempts to reach Sheikh Abduljabbar were not successful.
