Counsel to the teenager who was convicted for blasphemy in Kano, Kola Alapini, has denied rumours that the minor, Omar Farouq, has relocated abroad.

Mr. Alapini’s rebuttal comes against several reports in the media on Monday, stating that Omar Farouq has relocated abroad. 

When Peoples Gazette sought to verify the reports, Mr. Alapini, Thursday afternoon, said his client has not relocated abroad.

The lawyer said although Farouq and his family have been moved from the North due to threats, “they are still in Nigeria.”

“It is fake news and it is the tabloid that started it. They make fundraising difficult for us when they carry information without getting their facts. 

“One thing we have done is to move him and his immediate family out from the North to Abuja for safety and then to the South. That is what I will only say,” Mr. Alapini said.

The counsel said funds are being raised for his education and accommodation.

A check on the website of  Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation,  a foundation that has been raising funds globally for the Farouq case did not disclose any information of traveling abroad. 

However, the website states that ” his life is still under severe threat by extremist groups. In order to avoid a possible attack, Omar had to immediately relocate following his release.” 

The organization did not announce that he was relocated abroad.

The young Farouq was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 2020 by a Sharia court after he was accused of blaspheming Allah during a discussion with his friends while he was 13 years old.

The Sharia court decision drew public outcry which led to his counsel filing an appeal against the Kano State Government.

The appeal was successful and Farouq was cleared of all charges and released from prison on January 25, 2021, the Gazette learnt.