A Bauchi-based Muslim cleric, Abubakar Baba Karami, is being held by men of the Bauchi State Police Command for criticizing some Islamic clerics associating themselves with politicians and living extravagantly.
The cleric fondly addressed as Afakallah made the comment in a video clip, during a sermon at a Bauchi mosque on Friday, November 18, 2022.
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He named Kabir Muhammad Haruna, alias Kabiru Gombe, Abdullahi Bala Lau (Sheikh Balalau) and Ahmad Sulaiman Ibrahim also known as Alaramma Ahmad Sulaiman, as some of the cleric dining with politicians including Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Afakallah condemned the clerics, saying they have abandoned their virtues as Islamic scholars to embrace worldly pursuits.
KABIRU GOMBE COUNTERS ACCUSATIONS
Responding in a separate video, Kabiru Gombe denied the allegations and emphasised that “they are well-to-do and financially influential.”
Kabiru accused Afakallah of ignorance and threatened to drag him to court to prove his claims.
“We are self-employed,” he claimed. “We are not jobless people. Go and ask around. I have more than 200 people working under me. We demand that you present your evidence to these claims.”
AFAKALLAH SLAMMED WITH PETITION, DETAINED, TO BE CHARGED TO COURT
Subsequently, a petition was written by the lawyer of the defendants to the Bauchi state Commissioner of Police, alleging cyberstalking, injurious falsehood, intentional insult, defamation and an attempt to cause public unrest through his (Afakallah) sermon.
“In his sermon, he called them all manner of names saying they are potbellies, they are deceitful,” Barrister Usman Darazo, counsel to the defendants, told WikkiTimes.
According to him, the incident had disturbed the peace of Bauchi, as ardent loyalists of his clients wanted to take the law into their hands but they were pacified.
“The CP directed the Crime Investigation Division CID to launch an investigation into the case and my client came to Bauchi to write a statement today,” he added.
WikkiTimes learnt that Afakallah was on December 7, 2022, invited to the CID office for questioning with regards to the incident. He would be detained and scheduled to appear before a court tomorrow.
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However, attempts to speak to the Lawyer of the accused, Barrister Jibril Clinton, proved futile as he refused to grant an interview.
“It is true I am his (Afakallah) lawyer. But we have not covered as much ground as we would have wished. Therefore, it is not proper to speak now. Maybe we can speak in the morning,” he said.
Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, spokesman for Bauchi Police Command did not respond to an enquiry sent to him over the matter, as of press time.
