Group petitions IGP against arrest of cleric
By Ahmed Ahmed
A group, Jama’atu Shababil Islam, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to enforce law and order as regards the legal tussle between Bauchi State Government Islamic Cleric, Dr Idris Abdulaziz.
Our corresspondent reports that Bauchi upper shari’a court on Wednesday, issued a warrant of arrest Dr Abdulaziz over his refusal to appear in the court for the continuation of alleged charge for public disturbance
Muhammad Adam, the State Public Relation Officer of the group made the appeal at a news conference on Thursday in Bauchi.
He noted that the face up between the state government and Dr Abdulaziz is worrisome and would not go well to citizens, if not resolved amicably.
He emphasized that the call on the IGP to intervene toward the defense of the rule of law against
“A brazen negation of the principle of the process and rule of law by the judge Tanimu Turaki of the Sharia Court I, Bauchi”
“It is part of our responsibility of ensuring peaceful coexistence amongst the good people of Bauchi State and the country at large and indeed above all the struggle to safeguard fundamental human right of our revered scholar Dr Abdulziz,” Adam said
He disclosed that the association had taken several legal steps to bring the matter to an end including addressing a press conferences,
“Where we called on the different stakeholders in the matter, including the state government, the police and all the sects of Ulamas to proffer solutions and way forward
“We wrote a petition to the National Judicial Council (NIC) on the matter on May 24, 2023,” he revealed.
According to him, as the matter continues to linger with obvious signs of the use of extra Judicial powers, we wrote an open letter to Mr. President on November 13, 2023.
“As if the Bauchi state government is paying Tanimu Turaki for his hatchet man job, they nominated him for khadi of Sharia court and we protested against his nomination to the National Judicial Council (NIC) on 1, 2023.
“Part of the purported judgment of the judge yesterday was an issuance of a purported bench warrant for the police to arrest our revered scholar Abdulaziz.
Adam said they believe that Judiciary is the last hope of a common man but it was obvious that persistence of Judge Tanimu Turaki to continue with this matter even when the matter was appealed to a superior court is an impunity and flagrant igp HCigp
disobedience to the rule of law.