Kano: Man gets 10 lashes for pretending to join Islam

The Kano State Shari’ah Court, sitting in Kura, has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Haruna Abdulkarim, to receive 10 lashes as punishment for deceiving others by falsely claiming to be a Muslim in the process of converting to Islam.

Abdulkarim was arrested following a tip-off, as he had been attending daily and Friday mosque prayers, masquerading as a Christian seeking to embrace Islam and soliciting funds under the guise of almsgiving.

The Hisbah Commander in Kura LGA, Alhaji Ali Alkasim Kura, subsequently transferred him to the Police for further investigation and legal action.

During his court appearance, the accused admitted guilt and asserted his insolvency despite numerous obligations on his part.

Abdulkarim pleaded for leniency, vowing not to engage in such deceitful acts again.

After receiving the prescribed 10 lashes, the Court cautioned that any recurrence of the offense would result in the imposition of the harshest penalty.

The offender, Abdulkarim, appealed for forgiveness from all Muslims, particularly those who had supported him. He then assured that he would not engage in such behavior again. Moreover, driven by a genuine sense of remorse, he expressed his intention to seek guidance from Islamic scholars to deepen his religious understanding.