Bauchi Imam Remanded for Contempt of Court, Lawyers to Petition Judicial Council
The Chief Imam of Dutsen Tanshi Jumaat Mosque in Bauchi, Dr. Idris Abdulaziz has been remanded in correctional custody for 30 days by the presiding Judge of Upper Sharia Court 1, Malam Hussaini Turaki, on grounds of contempt of court.
The order was issued following a heated argument between the state counsel and the cleric’s lawyers regarding preliminary objections challenging the court’s jurisdiction, a notice of appeal to stay the proceedings, and the ruling on a previously ordered warrant of arrest.
The judge’s arrest and detention warrant, titled “Judicial Notice of Remand,” directed the commissioner of police to detain Imam Abdulaziz until further order, with a provision to bring him before the court for an order on his disposal if no further instruction is given before July 19, 2023.
Imam Abdulaziz had previously been remanded in correctional custody on May 15, 2023, by a Chief Magistrate Court on charges of public disturbance and incitement of public unrest.
Despite being granted bail, he spent seven days in custody due to stringent conditions, which were later modified by the state High Court.
The case was subsequently transferred to the Upper Sharia Court, where the cleric failed to appear, leading to the issuance of a bench warrant.
During the last sitting, he presented a medical report explaining his absence and requested the court to set aside the arrest warrant, but the judge reserved his ruling on the matter.
Following the latest ruling, Imam Abdulaziz was immediately taken to the correctional center under heavy security.
In response, the cleric’s counsel, Barr Kamal A. R. Mohammed, announced their intention to file a petition with the National Judicial Council (NJC), alleging abuse of judicial procedures by the judge.
