Group seeks US support for stability

By Musa Odoshimokhe

No fewer than 1,000 Nigerians have signed a petition urging the United States of America to intervene in plot by Iran and Amnesty International (AI) to destabilise the country.

The leader of the group,  Mohammed Ibn Shuaibu reminded the USA of many atrocious acts by Iran to undermine the country, noting that the USA should watch their unholy conduct.

The petition, addressed to President Donald Trump, through the USA ambassador to Nigeria, sought to end Iranian government’s avid sponsorship of groups/individuals truncating Nigeria’s democracy.

According to the petition, Iran has been shipping in ammunition and arms into Nigeria while also nurturing fighters in other countries .

Shuaibu said: “This is indeed trying times for Nigeria with the renewed onslaught against our nascent Democracy by forces that are known to be harbingers of terrorism all over the world.

“This letter cannot be written at a time better than now in the light of the threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the relative peace and tranquility in Nigeria with their avid sponsorship of groups/individuals with the sole intention of truncating Democracy in Nigeria.

“Dear Mr. President, you may wish to know that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) is an offshoot of the Islamic Republic of Iran formed about four decades ago; it advocates the creation of an Iranian-style Islamic state in Nigeria.

“It was heavily influenced by the Iranian revolution, which saw Ayatollah Khomeini take power in 1979 after the overthrow of the US-allied Shah in a popular uprising. Ayatollah Khomeini remains the group’s main inspiration:

“IMN adherents in Nigeria first pledge allegiance to him at their gatherings, and then to their local leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El- Zakzaky. The IMN views itself as a government and Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky as the only legitimate source of authority in Nigeria.”

He said the efforts by these foreign intruders to destabilise the country was an affront its sovereignty, adding that would not watch elements of instability infiltrate the country.

“It is also instructive to state that the Iranian Government has infiltrated Nigeria with tens of thousands of fighters that were mobilized and used for conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen and these fighters have been responsible for the upsurge of criminality in Nigeria manifest in rampant kidnappings, banditry, and other terrorist acts that if left unchecked might spell doom for Nigeria and by extension other African countries.

“We consequently wish to solicit the support of the United States to see the actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran as an affront to Democracy in Nigeria hence the need to activate measures that would support the efforts of the security agencies in Nigeria in curtailing the threats posed by the IMN. This is highly necessary given the fact that the IMN is now a global threat.”