The presiding Judge of Upper Sharia Court 1, Malam Hussaini Turaki has remanded a Bauchi based Islamic scholar and Chief Imam of Dutsen Tanshi Jumaat Mosque, Dr Idris Abdulaziz at correctional custody in Bauchi for a period of 30 days for contempt of court.
The judge gave the order yesterday after a heated argument between the state counsel and the lawyers of the cleric over the preliminary objections challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case, notice of appeal to stay proceedings of the case and ruling on the warrant of arrest earlier ordered by the court.
“The above named person (Imam Abdulaziz) has been arrested and brought before me, accused for the offences of Contempt of Court section 301 SPCL 2001. You are hereby authorised and required to receive him and detained him in custody until further order, provided that.
“If no further order has been as to his disposal before the 19 July 2023, you shall bring him before me with this warrant for an order as to his disposal,” the judge said in the arrest and detention warrant titled “Judicial Notice of Remand (NR) Form 25, Section 255-CPC, KASH NA CPC-255 of Shari’a Court of Appeal, Shari’a Court Division in the Upper Shari’a Court No 1, Bauchi Case No- CRF/120/2023” and addressed to the commissioner of police and warrant of commitment to prison on remand to officials of the Correctional Centre, Bauchi.
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Daily Trust had reported that Imam Abdulaziz was first remanded on 15 May 2023 in the correctional custody for alleged public disturbance and inciting public unrest by a Chief Magistrate Court in Bauchi after his arraignment by the Bauchi State Police Commissioner, CP Alhassan Aminu.
The cleric spent seven days in the correctional custody despite being granted bail due to stringent conditions to the sum of N1 million and three credible sureties in the like sum, which included a district head, a serving permanent secretary with the Bauchi State government and renowned Islamic scholar in the state.
The Imam was released after variation of the bail conditions to two businessmen and two renowned Islamic scholars by the state High Court.
The case was subsequently transferred to the Upper Sharia Court and the court on its first sitting, 31 May 2023, issued a bench warrant to arrest the cleric for nonappearance and disregard for the court summons.
The cleric had also in the last sitting presented a medical report as the reason for not attending the sitting and demanded the court to set aside the arrest warrant but the judge reserved his ruling on the arrest warrant.
The Imam was whisked away yesterday by the heavy security personnel who were stationed at the court to the correctional centre in Bauchi immediately after the ruling.
Addressing journalists shortly after the ruling, counsel to the Imam, Barr Kamal A. R. Mohammed said their team would write a petition against the judge at the National Judicial Council (NJC) for abuse of judicial procedures.
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