Islamic cleric Abduljabbar Kabara has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria alleging a judicial conspiracy to block his blasphemy sentence appeal, while also claiming his legal troubles stem from a rejected “revolutionary plot” involving international actors.
Prominent Kano-based Islamic cleric Abduljabbar Kabara has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, alleging a systematic conspiracy to obstruct his appeal against a 2022 death sentence. In a 14-page “Letter of Further Complaint” received by the Supreme Court on March 26, Kabara characterized his conviction for blasphemy as an “unjust, politically motivated attempt to silence him.” The cleric, who was sentenced to death by hanging for remarks deemed insulting to Prophet Muhammad, claims his legal efforts have been “deliberately frustrated,” accusing appellate judges of tampering with filings and altering dates to favor the Kano State Government.
The petition introduces extraordinary allegations of a “revolutionary plot,” with Kabara claiming his ordeal began after he refused to serve as a foreign-backed religious leader similar to Iran’s late Ayatollah Khomeini. He alleged that domestic and international figures offered him contracts worth ₦500 million to join a “foreign-backed agenda” and even claimed he was once deceived into consuming a “mixed liquid” intended to facilitate his transformation. Now held at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja for “security reasons,” the cleric maintains that his theological arguments were based on classical Islamic texts and that his sentencing represents a “grave miscarriage of justice.”
In response, the Kano Judiciary has dismissed the cleric’s claims as inconsistent with the facts. Judiciary spokesperson Baba Jibo stated that Kabara was provided with “ample opportunity to file his appeal within the legal timeframe” and that his legal counsel had regularly briefed him during his detention. Jibo emphasized that all filing dates and legal strategies were established with the cleric’s “explicit consent,” asserting that the judiciary cannot be held responsible for any purported procedural lapses. This legal standoff follows a high-profile 2021 debate where authorities concluded Kabara failed to defend his controversial interpretations of Islamic Hadiths.