Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, led high-ranking clerics from the Izala Islamic group to Bauchi to seek soft landing for a cleric who is standing trial for alleged public disturbance.
Fintiri alongside the chairman of Izala, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, its secretary, Sheikh Kabiru Gombe and a Kano-based scholar, Sheikh Abdulwahhab, met with the Bauchi state governor, Bala Muhammad in an attempt to persuade him to help drop charges instituted by government against a preacher, Dr Idris Abdulaziz.
Chief Press Secretary to Fintiri, Humwashi Wonosikou, confirmed the meeting to our correspondent, saying the governor met with his Bauchi counterpart to settle the matter between Bauchi government and Abdulaziz.
Abdulaziz, who was released the same day had been in prison for more than thirty days after a Shari’a Court judge hearing the case ordered for his remand.
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The cleric had made some remarks on Prophet Muhammad that were considered blasphemous by many scholars, causing outrage in Muslim communities in the North.
He, however, denied any wrong doing.
A preacher, Baffa Hotoro, who aligned himself with the cleric was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Kano for repeating his (Idris’ words) while a man was recently killed by a mob in Sokoto for allegedly making similar remarks.
In his sermons, the cleric often blamed the Bauchi governor for his travails, insisting the case was political.
He accusedthe governor of witch-hunting him for supporting an opposition candidate in the last election.
During the meeting attended by heads of security agencies in the state, Fintiri said he was in Bauchi to seek a lasting solution to the protracted case.
In his response, Governor Bala promised to look into the proposal, saying religion is a sensitive issue with multi dimensional implications.
He thanked the delegation for their concern and for giving him the benefit of doubt.
