Appeal Court summons Sheikh Abduljabar for hearing

The Court of Appeal Nigeria sitting in Kano has directed the Nigerian Correctional Service to produce Islamic scholar Abduljabar Kabara for the hearing of his appeal.

The order was issued on Monday by the presiding judge, Mohammed Lawal-Shuaibu, who stated that the appellant must appear in person since he filed the appeal without legal representation.

Kabara is currently in custody following a judgment by an Upper Shari’a Court, which sentenced him to death by hanging over alleged blasphemy.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Lawal-Shuaibu said the court deemed it necessary for the appellant to personally present his case.

“In view that the appellant filed the appeal in person and not through counsel, he is to appear personally,” the judge ruled, ordering that he be produced in court on the next adjourned date, April 23, 2026.

The panel also included Justices Abubakar Muazu-Lamido and Ahmad Ramat-Mohammed.

Earlier in the proceedings, both the defence and prosecution were absent. A man identified as Usman Malam-Hussaini informed the court that Kabara had sent him with a letter requesting transfer from Kuje prison to Kano to enable better access to legal records.

In response, the court summoned the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabiru-Maude, to appear.

When the case resumed, the Assistant Director of Public Prosecution in the state Ministry of Justice, Zahradeen Kofar-Mata, told the court that the Attorney General was unavailable and had instructed him to tender an apology.

He added that the matter had been assigned to a private lawyer and blamed a mix-up at the court registry for the delay.

The presiding judge, however, criticised the absence of the Attorney General, describing it as a sign of disrespect to the court, before adjourning the case to April 23 for hearing.