A Kano State Shari’ah Court, sitting in Kura, has ordered a 25-year-old Haruna Abdulkarim to be given 10 strokes of cane as punishment for falsely claiming to be a Christian and ‘converting’ to Islam.
Abdulkarim, a resident of Koguna Ward in Makoda local government area of the State, was apprehended by Hisbah personnel in Kura local government area of the State following a tip-off.
He had been attending both daily and Friday congregational prayers, pretending to a Christian wanting to embrace Islam, and soliciting funds under the guise of almsgiving. His actions prompted the Hisbah Commander in Kura LGA, Ali Alkasim Kura, to order his arrest and transfer him to the Police for further investigation.
He was consequently arraigned in court and during his appearance, the accused confessed to his crime and claimed debt insolvency pushed him to his action. He, however, pleaded for leniency, vowing not to partake in such deceitful act again.
The Court, after deliberation, sentenced him to 10 strokes of cane and cautioned that any recurrence of the offence would result in the imposition of the harshest penalty.
Following the court session, Abdulkarim appealed for forgiveness from all Muslims, particularly those who had supported him. He assured that he would not engage in such behaviour again. Expressing genuine remorse, he stated his intention to seek guidance from Islamic scholars to deepen his religious understanding.