A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan has convicted one Olarenwaju John Ifagbemi for burning the Holy Quran.
The convict, said to be a traditionalist, was prosecuted on a charge bothering on insult to religion.
Delivering judgement, the trial judge, Justice N. U Agomoh, held that the prosecution was able to adduce evidence that satisfied the requirements of Section 204 of the Criminal Code Act, thereby proving the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The convict was sentenced to a prison term of three months, with effect from January 7, 2025.
Ifagbemi was arrested in Iseyin Local Government Area by the Oyo Command of the Department of State Services, DSS, in early January, shortly after he posted a video of himself openly burning a Quran.
The incident occurred at a time some Islamic clerics had initiated moves to establish a Sharia court in Oyo town and the convict’s action was viewed as a move to trigger religious crisis.
With tension rising in the area, the intervention of the DSS helped to reduce tensions.
“The Service’s swift arrest of the traditionalist who openly burnt the Quran, and uploaded it on social media helped deescalate tensions,” a source in the area said.
A senior court official, who spoke on the charge marked FHC/IB/4c/2025/, said: “The honourable trial judge was able to deliver judgement within a period of one month because the DSS proved its case satisfactorily.”
In a related development, Justice N. E Maha of the Ibadan division of the Federal High Court has sentenced a terrorist, one Babangida Ummaru, to 60 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The terrorist and kidnap kingpin was initially arraigned on a two-count charge, which was later amended after the DSS obtained additional evidence.
The court found the convict guilty on three counts of terrorism and kidnapping, under the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
He was however discharged on four other counts.
The 60 year imprisonment secured against the suspect is considered as a landmark judgment that is expected to add more credence to the Terrorism and Prohibition Act, 2022.
