By Abdullahi Isa Wasagu
The remaining three Brothers, Malam Musa Yero, Abdullahi dan Ada and Usman Kaza, unjustifiably serving life sentence in Kaduna prison after 16 years on Thursday (January 15, 2015) gained freedom, three months after the release of their colleagues.
The six Brothers, all members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, were arrested on 07/07/2007 and unjustifiably sentenced to death by a court in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State 16 years ago, but was later reduced to life sentence.
I would be recalled that through mob action, people from Kaldi and Randale in Birnin Kebbi Local Government lynched and killed a man accused of blasphemous statement against Prophet Muhammad (S), which led to the arrest of the many people, including members of the Islamic Movement under His Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky. Those arrested were later released, except the six students of Sheikh Zakzaky.
In an interview, the released Brothers explained that their incarceration has nothing to do with the mob action or killing the man who committed a blasphemy. “We later came to know that, even the sentence handed out to us was a directive from the government house, because we are members of the Islamic Movement. This is why only six of us were sentenced to death, the rest were released”.
According to reports, the release of the first three Brothers was part of the state government’s independence anniversary amnesty, while the second release was New Year anniversary amnesty.
Commenting on their release, Ameer of Kaduna Malam Mukhtar Sahabi pointed out that, the reduction of the sentence at various point during their detention and eventual release was an act of God.
