In a swift twist of events, the team of lawyers defending Kano controversial sheikh, Abduljabar Nasiru Kabara, accused of blasphemous statement against the Prophet of Islam, have all withdrawn their services.

The defence lawyers, Saleh M Bagoro, HG Magashi, Bashir Sabiu, R.S. Abdullahi and Y.A. Umar, said in the withdrawal letter titled “Withdrawal from the case between Kano State Government and Sheikh Abduljabar Nasiru Kabara, with file number CR/1/2021 and case file number CR/631/2021”, that they decided to withdraw their services after meeting with their client on September 14 at the Kurmawa Correctional Center.

“We hope the Court would accept our withdrawal. We pray the judge would do justice,” the letter, signed by both the lawyers and Mr Abduljabbar, said.

Recall that the presiding judge, Justice Sarki Yola, had ordered for mental evaluation of Mr Abduljabbar when he refused to respond to a series of questions in the court at the last sitting.

Mr Abduljabar had refused to talk after the government’s lead counsel, Suraj Said, filed fresh charges against the sheikh, a situation that generated a heated debate between counsel to the defendant and that of the government.