Islamic sect, Jama’atu Shababil Islam, Bauchi State chapter, has urged the Bauchi State government, police and the Bauchi Emirate to shelve the planned trial of Imam Idris Abdulaziz for alleged blasphemous statements.
The State Sharia Commission had, last month, invited Abdulaziz for debate, but later suspended the matter indefinitely. While addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Bauchi, the group’s secretary, Isah Sa’id, said the government should not localise the “global conspiracy” against believers of the Qur’an and Hadith.
A letter was sent to the Commissioner of Police, recently, for arrest and prosecution of the Imam over alleged hate speech, incitement and insult. He said: “It is noteworthy that the authorities realise that this sectarian strife has now taken a political dimension because it is obvious that some individuals having political grudges with Dr. Abdulaziz have hijacked the situation to consolidate their ulterior motives.
“We wish to call on the Bauchi Emirate Council, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Shariah Commission, Bauchi Police Command, Department of State Services (DSS), politicians and the general public to understand that this is purely a sectarian strife, a sensitive religious issue that requires only intellectual approach.
“Someone somewhere in transient political position cannot just swear to arrest an Islamic scholar for any political reason whatsoever. The matter can only be resolved by engaging the appropriate religious authorities.”
