The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN)

  • Kaduna releases White Paper on Zaria clashes

    Kaduna releases White Paper on Zaria clashes

    …Says Zakzaky’s group responsible for clashes, consequences

     

    The Kaduna State Government on Monday released the White Paper on the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Zaria clashes of December 2015.

    The white paper however blamed the clashes and their consequences on the Sheik Ibraheem Zakzaky led Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), saying, “all IMN members and its leadership are jointly and severally liable for all violations of the law in the last 30 years, and are therefore responsible for the clashes and its consequences”.

    The Judicial Commission of Inquiry which examined, among other issues, the immediate and remote causes of the clashes between the Nigerian Army and the outlawed IMN, submitted its report in July 2016.

    Presenting the white paper before newsmen at the government house, Kaduna, Special Assistant to Governor El-Rufai on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan said, following the receipt of the report, the government made the report public within 10 days, and set up a committee of senior public servants to prepare a draft White Paper.

    According to him, “this White Paper sets out the views and decisions of the Government on all the recommendations that have been made to it by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry. All recommendations that are within the purview of the Kaduna State Government can be accepted, noted or rejected. Those pertaining to institutions or tiers of government not under the direct control of the state government are noted and referred to the appropriate institution for consideration and decision.

    “Regarding the clashes in the Gyallesu area of Zaria where the Nigerian Army mounted a cordon and search operation, the White Paper observed that many civilians were evacuated from Gyallesu, but that IMN members rejected the opportunity to vacate the area.

    “The White Paper also acknowledged that the Nigerian Army abided by its Rules of Engagement and further observed that: the Judicial Commission of Inquiry failed to take into account the years during which the activities of the IMN in Gyallesu had threatened peace and security; for all intent and purpose, the IMN is an insurgent group and ought to be treated as such; the sheer numbers of IMN members congregating in Zaria from across the country that night, with many bearing arms, was such that the Nigerian Army was in no position to accurately determine how armed and organised they were and had to be concerned on what their intention for Zaria was.

    “With regards to the findings of the Commission on the conduct of the Nigerian Army, the State Government noted the recommendation that members of the Nigerian Army that may have been involved in the unlawful killing of 347 citizens should be brought to trial before a Court of competent jurisdiction.

    “The Kaduna State Government is assured that the Federal Government will not condone unlawful killing of any citizen and that this conduct will be further investigated and any culprits identified will first be subjected to court martial by the federal authorities, followed by civil prosecution by the state government.”

    “The Kaduna State Government accepted the following recommendations, among others: The IMN is an unregistered organisation that cannot be sued. Therefore, all IMN members and its leadership are jointly and severally liable for all violations of the law in the last 30 years, and are therefore responsible for the clashes and its consequences.

    “Members of the IMN owe absolute loyalty to Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky. He therefore bears responsibility for all the acts of lawlessness committed by the organisation and should therefore be held responsible, fully investigated and prosecuted;

    “The evidence before the Commission, from the testimonies and memoranda submitted to it by the various interest groups and stakeholders, clearly shows that IMN has become a law unto itself; disregarding the authority of the Nigerian State as vested in the police and other security agencies which many a times lead to several confrontations such as the one of 12th to 14th December, 2015 between it and the Nigerian Army;

    “All incidents of violence and aggression by the members of the IMN against individuals, groups or communities, which have resulted in grievous bodily harm, destruction of properties and deaths, should be fully investigated and culprits brought to book. Where appropriate, compensations should be paid”, the white paper read.

  • Why we declared Shi’ite group illegal – El Rufai

    Why we declared Shi’ite group illegal – El Rufai

    Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna state has said that he decided to declared the famous Shi’ites group, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) an unlawful society because its activities was an insurgency waiting to happen.

    Governor El Rufai who spoke to a select-group of journalists Monday, said that IMN leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky was not practicing the doctrine of Shi’ism but was gathering enough members in order to stage an Iranian-type Islamic revolution in Nigeria.

    The governor clarified that he neither banned the Shiite sect nor Shi’ism in Kaduna state but merely invoked the powers conferred on him by the penal code which was enacted in 1963, to declare IMN an unlawful society.

    According to El Rufai, the government only declared IMN illegal but there are two other Shi’ite sects that are carrying on with their activities freely in Kaduna state. He argued that it is wrong to equate only IMN with Shi’ism, adding that IMN is just one group that professes the doctrine but there are several others.

    ‘’There is also a misconception that IMN is the same thing as Shiites; it is only one sect out of many Shiite organizations. There is one Shiite group that is headquartered here in Kaduna, which is headed by Sheikh Hamza Lawal. He used to be with IMN but he left them when he realized that IMN is more interested in political struggles than religious development, ‘’ he said.

    El Rufai said that Sheikh Hamza appeared before the Justice Lawal Garba Judicial Commission of Inquiry and gave evidence by saying that ‘’there is nothing in Shia doctrine that says that you should not recognize the government of your country.’’

    He pointed out that the government cannot ban any religious organization or practice in the state but that the penal code gives him the powers to declare any organization as an unlawful society ‘’if it poses a threat to the security, peace and governance of the state.’’

    ‘’We concluded, after receiving the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that looked into the clashes between IMN and the army, that IMN poses a threat to the security, peace and governance of the state,’’ he said, adding that ‘’we did not ban Shiism, we did not ban Shiites, we did not say that they can’t practice their religion.’’

    Adducing more reasons why he declared IMN an unlawful society, the Governor said that the group ‘’does not recognize the constitution of Nigeria. They do not recognize Buhari as president. They do not recognize me as governor of Kaduna state, they had their own governor in Tudun Wada.’’

    According to him, IMN have their own paramilitary personnel which they call ‘’Hurras’’ and they used to bear arms in violation of the Nigerian laws. ‘’And they do not accept that any law in Nigeria applies to them,’’ he further said.

    The governor pointed out that ‘’because they do not recognize any law in Nigeria, IMN is  not registered with Corporate Affairs Commission. So, they cannot be sued or held responsible for their actions. They build anywhere they find land, they do not even bother to apply for land titles.’’

    El Rufai also said that IMN used to block public high ways and occupy schools during their processions. ‘’In the practice of their religion, they infringed on the rights of others and that is completely wrong  in Islam.’’

    ‘’So, if you put all these together, you will realize that IMN was an insurgency that was waiting to happen. IMN was a political organization. The intention of El Zakzaky was to gather enough followers to effect an Iranian-type revolution in Nigeria. Nigeria is not a 100% Muslim country that you can do that kind of revolution,’’ El Rufai said.

    In spite of the fact that IMN has been declared an unlawful organization, El Rufai however said that it is wrong for citizens to take the law into their hands by attacking them. He said that those who attacked some IMN members during the last Ashura celebrations have been apprehended and being prosecuted in court.

  • Shiites, Police clash: IG justifies Kano killings

    Shiites, Police clash: IG justifies Kano killings

    The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on Tuesday justified the clash between the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) (aka Shi’ites) and the police in Kano State on Monday.

    Eight members of the Shi’ites and one policeman were reportedly killed during the clash.

    Kano State Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Yusuf had told reporters on Monday that four policemen and many Shi’ites members were also injured during the clash on Kano-Zaria road.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after the launching of the 2017 Armed Forces Emblem Fund at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Idris said that the police has the responsibility to maintain law and order in every part of the country.

    He said: “Obviously from time to time, we have been experiencing upheavals from this set of people. As police officers, we have responsibility to ensure there is law and order and when you have people taking over the whole country, dominating streets and buildings, we have to come in to maintain sanity in those areas.

    “As of early yesterday, we got information that they were trying to block Kano to Zaria road. They later assembled in large numbers and our officers were deployed to the place to ensure freedom of movement of ordinary Nigerians.

    “They attacked our officers, killed one of our officers one has sustained an arrow wound on his head and obviously in such a situation, police have the responsilitity to ensure free movement of people on the road. And that was what our officers did,” he said.

    On the fear that if the trend is not checked, the group will become like Boko Haram, he said: “Obviously, it is. Whether now or whenever, as police officers we have a responsibility to ensure there is law and order in any part of this country and to ensure that no organization or individual should constitute themselves into a government, block passages and buildings.

    Asked if it was not wrong to unnecessarily kill any Nigerian in the process of quelling riot, he said: “I agree with what you said, but when you have Nigerians armed to the teeth, killing police officers, I don’t think it happens anywhere. I think as Nigerians, we have to appreciate, when you appreciate a dangerous situation, and to be sympathetic with the police that are being killed by some of these miscreants.

    According to him, it was wrong to worship on the highway or block the road under any guise.

    He said: “What happens is that there is nothing like freedom there. When you worship, you go to mosques or churches. Blocking highways and passages doesn’t constitute part of worship.

    “My message to Nigerians is that all of us would be our brother’s keepers. We should appreciate the feeling of others that where your right ends, another person’s right begins.

    “Every Nigerian has a right that must be protected. We should ensure we protect the rights of every individuals: right of freedom, right of association and right of movement.” He stated

  • Shi’a victim syndrome: Paid mourners, dangerous propaganda

    Shi’a victim syndrome: Paid mourners, dangerous propaganda

    The Shi’a sect’s manifestation in Nigeria: the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), has apparently been ramping up its propaganda.Its strategy has improved to now include delivering its version of the truth using respectable clerics, editorials of respected online publications, talking heads that saturate the airwaves and columnists that seemingly appear to be writing across the divides.

    One of the latter category, Chris Ngwodo, penned a write up “Nigeria’s War Against the Shi’a” which perfectly fits into the new slant of covertly threatening the nation to accept IMN’s excesses without the extremist group having to tone down its own insurrection against the secular state.Like all the other formats of the newfound strategy,the new approach adopted by the Shi’a sect is drawing on an asset they had the foresight to set up,their convoluted accounts of past events are now being quoted by those newly deployed to manage their propaganda efforts.

    True to a time-worn IMN strategy of blaming just about everyone but themselves, Ngwodo’s article in one breath blamed President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for a phantom Shi’a ordeal while in the same breath acknowledged that they had a run-in with the law in 2014 when a different government held sway. In the traditional disdain. the group has for anything related to constituted authority, security agencies that acted to contain the excesses of a belligerent group and those who dared exercise their rights to speak against IMN extremism were described as “extremist voices” and “monsters”.

    The piece tried to confuse the issues in IMN’s December 2015 confrontation of the Army when it said President Buhari tacitly justified the massacres. It may be a topic for another day and another context but it is fraudulent to describe attackers that died in a counter-military operation as massacred. The ones that survived among them should be answering charges for using helpless women and underaged youths as human shields.

    The writer alluded to a Nigerian state that has “escalated its hostility against the Islamic Movement in Nigeria” since the 2015 incident as a prelude to dismissing the genuine efforts made in getting to the root of that crisis. It did admit that the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State government indicted both the army and the IMN,it sidestepped the report of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),which was unequivocal in placing the blame on the leadership and members of IMN.That report specifically demanded the immediate trial of IMN leader,Sheikh El-Zakyzaky for precipitating what Ngwodo termed “massacre”.

    The import of two separate but related events were lost on the author of that pro-IMN missive. First, the decision of Katsina, Kano and Kebbi states to follow in the footsteps of Kaduna state in outlawing the IMN is apparently the product of popular demand that other states will do well to emulate. No group has the right to plague persons of other faiths and convictions and not expect the state to step in as an umpire. Secondly, the condemnable attacks on Shi’a Kaduna, Funtua, Sokoto, Kano and Jos should give members of the group and their paid commentators cause to ponder what they did wrong to provoke such morbid outrage among other nationals.

    Describing these developments as “state-backed systematic persecution and extermination of the Shi’a” is, therefore, disingenuous and the true hallmark of bigotry. Several fundamentals might have simmered beneath the surface over the years but where one of the parties to the situation decides to escalate aggression,it will take an irresponsible government not to act in the collective interest of all citizens,which in this case implies that the rest must be protected from the aggression of the errant group. No one has said the Shi’a cannot practice what they hold dear,but they must also recognize by the same token that the rest of the country have the right not to be coerced into Shi’a doctrines.

    The writer of the referenced piece, if he is above 45 years old,may wish to cast his mind back to when he was younger and see if there was so much noise about sectarian differences in Islam.If he is a younger person he should ask those who should know. What he referred to as “anti-Shi’a prejudice” has more to do with the responses of states and individuals to IMN aggression.

    To then try whipping up anti-Sunni prejudice in response to anti-Shi’a prejudice is to be himself guilty of what he is preaching against. If he takes a sincere reality check, he will realize that there is a growing disenchantment with the faiths and sects that are driven offshore. Even if such disenchantment were in its early stage, the pursuit of secularism is what will work for Nigerians and not foreign funded and driven divisions, as he correctly observed at some illuminating point in his article.

    That illumination was however absent when it claimed that IMN members only held peaceful protest marches that were then attacked by mobs and security forces.Such claims could only be made by someone that has never had a taste of the horrors that the Shi’a outfit is capable of inflicting.

    The Charges against the Shi’a

    This capability of the IMN was at the root of outlawing the group. Once it has gotten to the point where it openly took on the Army and even reportedly made an attempt on the life of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) it became glaring that the nation was not dealing with a ragtag of urchins.

    Outlawing the IMN in Kaduna state by the Governor,Mallam Nasir El Rufai was a logical step.As the order noted, IMN does not acknowledge the Nigerian state,a fact demonstrated by it not bothering with registration; the group was militarized, it preaches extremism while its members had remained confrontational and unruly in the aftermath of the 2015 incident.

    Other groups may hold similar views in their closet but they will get a taste of the state when they escalate matters to the level of the IMN. Boko Haram has tried it and they now know better.The oil militants have tried it and they are walking back their folly.

    That El ZakZaky, the IMN leader once take pro-constitutional and pro-state stances does not rule out the possibility of recanting and denying the primacy of the secular Nigerian state.If he once spoke for constitutionality and then more recently opted to fight the institutions and concepts enshrined in the constitution, the previous views expressed are no protection to shield him from security agencies that must do their work.

    This is a mistake that the political class must not repeat.They have in the past allowed demagogic sects to fester and only acted when it was too late.Criticisms like the ones unloaded by Ngwodo must not petrify them from blocking the ride of another extremist group. When IMN take over public spaces with their processions to the discomfort of others it is a matter of time before the will raise flags, claim territories and enforce their own version of reality. Now that it is known that no sect or faith should hijack state infrastructure, we must move to the next state of stopping Friday prayers and Sunday services from obstructing the roads.

    The Strange Politics of Anti-Shi’a Activism

    It is indeed strange that Shi’as are minority in one paragraph and they become strategic to  El Rufai,Buhari,and the All Progressives Congress winning elections. Since their numbers can swing votes then they are not in the minority,at least not on the scale they’re marketing to the world.  They should thus exploit the strength of their numbers at the polls and that is if they are willing to recognize, held by the Nigerian state.

    Sowing the Wind of Extremism

    It is for the precise reason that Nigeria should not be proxy battle ground for the Middle East that it becomes imperative for the Government of The Federal Republic of Nigeria to counter external influences here. If the wind of extremism is being sown in Nigeria the proof have been traced to Iran as state sponsor of terrorism – cache of arms uncovered,spies arrested in Lagos,financial ties with IMN and other smoking guns.Once Saudi Arabia can be implicated even on a smaller scale,any group they are financing would have a run-in with the law.

    It must be noted that it is the institutions of state like the Nigerian Army that have been at the forefront of the anti-terror fight and the IMN has done a lot to attempt tarnishing such entities using Amnesty International and Islamic Human Rights Commission.

    The military has not relented in doing the needful apparently because there is that commitment to ensure that replication of the Middle East kind of chaos would not work here irrespective of how much IMN or any other group assigned to make it happen does.  Ngwodo apparently managed to let slip an agreed talking points for the new IMN propaganda onslaught.

    It is that claim that the other Muslim sects and Christians would be the next in the firing line once the Shi’as have been disposed of. He even found an opportunity to remind readers of ethnic cleansing and genocide in one desperate attempt at fear mongering.
    Protecting Minorities and Securing Democracy.

    Minorities need not take up arms in response to this unwarranted fear mongering.The first protection that minorities – be they ethnic, religious or sectarian – need is to be shielded from the danger posed by IMN.Beyond making life unbearable for everyone,the sect has been promoting the idea that insurrections can be carried out without consequences.No minority group should buy into this fallacy. Rising up against the state is never the best option.

    To protect minorities and secure democracy,what is needed is to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari not to relent in ridding the country of all forms of extremism since it is now clear that Boko Haram is not the only fanatical group.If Mr President can do this for Nigeria then his legacy is secured.

    Onoja writes from Jos.

  • Kaduna declares Shi’ite movement unlawful society

    Kaduna declares Shi’ite movement unlawful society

    The Kaduna State Government has issued an order declaring the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) an unlawful society.
    A statement signed by the Special Assistant to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, said the action is taken in the exercise of the government’s duty to preserve peace and security in the state, and to ensure that all persons and organisations are guided by lawful conduct and with due allegiance to the Nigerian state and its Constitution.
    The Kaduna state executive council approved the making of this order following deliberations at its meeting on Thursday, 06 October 2016.
    According to the statement, “the Order, which has been signed by the Governor, draws on powers vested by the Constitution and the laws of Kaduna State. Section 45 (1) of the Constitution categorically vests in the Governor the powers to take such measures and actions as are necessary for the promotion and protection of public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or the rights and freedom of all persons in Kaduna State.
    “Section 97A of the Penal Code (Cap 110, Laws of Kaduna State, 1991) empowers the Governor to declare as an unlawful society any organisation whose activities are dangerous to the security and good governance of the state.
    “The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Zaria Clashes of 12-14 December 2015 found that the IMN is not a registered organisation, that it has a paramilitary wing and that its members do not recognise or respect the laws of the country and the duly constituted authorities that have the responsibility to secure and administer the country.
    “The Declaration Order noted that since the regrettable events in Zaria which resulted in the loss of 347 lives, the IMN “has overtly continued with unlawful processions, obstruction of public highways, unauthorized occupation of public facilities including schools without regard to the rights of other citizens and the public peace and order of the State.
    “The Order noted that ‘these acts if allowed to go unchecked, will constitute dangers to the peace, tranquility, harmonious coexistence and good governance of Kaduna State’.
    “The Declaration Order, which comes into effect on Friday, 7 October 2016, provides for the prosecution of persons that may be in breach of its provisions under the laws of Kaduna State:
    “Whoever manages, or is a member of the said Society under any appellation or mutation with the propensity of causing the breakdown of law and order, or operates in a manner dangerous to the good governance of the State shall, from commencement of this order, be prosecuted in accordance with the Laws of Kaduna State.
    “Sections 97A and 97B of the Penal Code prescribe a penalty of imprisonment for seven years or a fine or both for any person convicted for belonging to an unlawful society.
    “The Kaduna State Government reaffirms its vigorous commitment to upholding the right of citizens to practice the religion of their choice. These are rights fully protected by Sections 38 and 40 of the Constitution.
    “Such rights to freedom of thought and worship must, however, be exercised in ways that do not infringe on the rights of others, and should not subject other people to distress and inconvenience,” the statement read.
  • Army/Shiite clash: NHRC seeks prompt prosecution of El-Zakzaky, others

    Army/Shiite clash: NHRC seeks prompt prosecution of El-Zakzaky, others

    • Blames Kaduna govt, security agencies for uncertainty over number of dead, missing persons, lost assets

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to ensure prompt prosecution of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and members of his group found culpable for the December 2015 clash between them and men of the Nigerian Army.

    The clash witnessed in Kaduna between December 12 to 14, 2015 led to the death and displacement of yet to be determined number of people, with an unspecified number of property destroyed.

    NHRC also suggested the prosecution of members of the Nigerian Army found culpable for disproportionate and unreasonable use of force in violation of the Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct of the Nigerian Army during the clash.

    These formed part of the recommendations contained in a draft report of the NHRC’s investigation into the incident. The draft report prepared by a six-man Special Investigation Panel constituted by the commission, was presented to NHRC’s Executive Secretary in Abuja by its Chairman, Anthony Ojukwu.

    NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Prof Bem Angwe, who commended the panel for a job well done, assured that the final report will be made public  later this year.

    The panel accused the group of being responsible for the immediate cause by blocking a public highway and refusing to yield way when the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff ran into the blockade created by members of IMN, who were armed and became “riotous and constitution an obstruction on the road.

    It recommended total ban, by the Federal, state and local governments, of the blockage of public roads for religious or other purposes like tax collection, social activities and others.

    The NHRC panel faulted the Kaduna State Government and unnamed law enforcement agents for its inability to ascertain the actual number of dead and missing persons, the cause of their death and the value of assets lost in the incident.

    It blamed the lack of “clear and conclusive evidence” about the dead on the hurried mass burial carried out by the state government without allowing specialists at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital to conduct the necessary examinations and tests of the corpses.

    It said the sudden withdrawal of the IMN in the activities of the panel made it impossible to answer questions relating to the number of its members’ death, their identity and the number of their property affected.

    The panel, which noted that the increasing involvement of the military in civil operations was not sustainable, suggested its discontinuation to avoid the increasing conflicts between the military and civil society.

    It called for the establishment of a fresh public inquiry, equipped with forensic and all other necessary support to ascertain the actual number of persons missing or dead and causes of such deaths, the proportionality and reasonableness of the response of the Nigerian Army to the aggression of the IMN during the incident.

    “The appropriate criminal prosecution for blocking the public highway by members of the IMN should be applied to the members and leadership of the IMN for failing to obey lawful directives when requested to do so by law enforcement officials.

    “The leader of IMN should be tried speedily for any offences (if any) established against him and his organisation in line with the Constitution. However, the issue of his continued detention and violation of his right to liberty are already subject of litigation before courts of competent jurisdiction and therefore subjudice,” it said.

    The panel recommended compensation for the dead and others, whose property were demolished by the state government. It urged both the Fed Govt and the Kaduna State to assume responsibility for the care and settlement of the medical bills of those injured in the incident, including El-Zakzaky and his group’s members.

    It said it was able to ascertain among others, that there was violation of the rights to life (of those who died), to freedom of movement (as it relates to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and those in his convoy, who were obstructed by the blockage created by members of the IMN) and to property (in relation to property of IMN members and others destroyed without due process).

    “The leadership and members and members of IMN were responsible for the abuse of the right to freedom of movement of the convoy of the COAS and other members of the public by blocking the public highway on December 12, 2-15.

    “There was the mass demolition of properties by the Kaduna State Government as a result of the incident, without due process, thereby violating the right to property of the victims. The Kaduna State Government did not give figures of numbers of dead persons to the SIP when it visited the state government to request for this and other information on the dead persons,” it said.

  • There’ll be tragedy if Zakzaky dies in DSS custody -Shi’ites

    There’ll be tragedy if Zakzaky dies in DSS custody -Shi’ites

    The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shi’ites, on Wednesday warned that there will be monumental tragedy if its leader, Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky, who has since December 2015 been in detention dies in government custody.

    The movement in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Ibrahim Musa in Kaduna Wednesday also dismissed two lawyers, Sadau Garba and Bello Ibrahim allegedly standing for Zakzaky before Department of State Services (DSS) as impostors.

    According to the statement, “We demand that our Leader and the wife must be released unconditionally without delay.

    “It will be a tragedy of monumental proportions should our leader go blind in detention or suffer further physical disability due to him being denied access to adequate medical attention,” the movement said without giving details.

     “We understand those that sanctioned his detention and those detaining him want to humiliate him and make sure that he goes completely blind before he is eventually released thereby rendering him powerless the moment he is released from unconstitutional and illegal detention.

    “The health of our leader and the wife continues to deteriorate on a daily basis and those holding him in custody are playing politics with his detention and that of his wife.

    “We urge the Nigerian people and the international community to intervene in this crude violation of the fundamental rights of our leader,” the IMN said.

    On the lawyers, IMN said, “The Islamic Movement in Nigeria wants to make it clear that the said Sadau Garba and Bello Ibrahim can only be solicitors to the Department of State Services, with who they are in constant contact, and not that of the Movement or our revered leader. It is the Department of State Services that briefed the two and are giving them access to their facilities and encouraging them to pose as solicitors to our revered leader and urging them to write letters begging the Department to release our leader on compassionate grounds.

    “On the basis of this dubious alliance the Department has been giving the two unrestricted access and have been sending out dubious feelers that they will release our revered leader to the family the moment they are begged by the two to do so.

    “We recall that the said Sadau Garba has in the past attempted to swerve the course of the case involving Sheikh’s fundamental rights by claiming that that Sheikh told him that the DSS should be excluded from the matter as one of the respondents in the case which turned out to be contrived by those that briefed him,” said the IMN.

    It went on: “We want to make it abundantly clear that that the said Sadau Garba and Bello Ibrahim are not solicitors to the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and have not been briefed by our leader to represent him in any of the cases pending in court.

    “The said Sadau Garba and Bello Ibrahim are acting a script carefully contrived by those holding our revered leader and their claim to being our solicitors and that of our leader is baffling, erroneous, and mischievous and amounts to professional misconduct.

    “The two solicitors have been set up by the enemies of the Movement to give the impression that there is doubt as regards the true solicitors of the Movement and Shaikh and further prolong the detention of our leader.

    “The Islamic Movement in Nigeria therefore makes it abundantly clear that Femi Falana, SAN is the leader of the Legal Team and ably assisted by Festus Okoye Esq and Maxwell Kyon Esq,” the IMN posited.

  • Army planning to steal bodies from mass grave – Shi’ites

    Army planning to steal bodies from mass grave – Shi’ites

    • It’s concoction of lies – Army

    The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) popularly known as Shi’ites has alleged that the Nigerian Army is planning to exhume bodies of their members allegedly buried in a mass grave in Kaduna in a bid to reduce the number of dead bodies.

    Meanwhile, the Army in a swift reaction rejected the allegation, saying: “it is a concoction of lies and deliberate effort by the IMN to portray the Nigerian Army’s image negatively‎.”

    The IMN in a statement signed by its spokesman, Ibrahim Musa ‎said since the disclosure of the existence of a mass grave at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry by officials of the Kaduna state government, the Nigerian Army, who initially tried to debunk the existence of a mass grave in their testimonies has been uncomfortable.

    The statement reads: “Reports reaching the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) have it that some unscrupulous people, who were behind the massacre of hundreds of unarmed citizens and their secret burial in a mass grave, are planning to secretly and unilaterally exhume the corpses in an effort to lower the figure of those buried therein in the event of a subsequent full blown international investigation of their crime.

    “When it became obvious through confessions of officers of the state government that mass grave exists, and that officers and men of the Nigerian Army were fully involved in the construction of the mass grave as well as the secret burial of hundreds of IMN members they killed, the Nigerian Army officials have been working out how they could at least significantly put down the number of corpses buried in the grave. As a follow-up testimony at the Judicial Commission, they bluntly refused to acknowledge the hundreds killed and buried in the mass grave, claiming that they handed over only “a few” to state officials for burial.

    “The Islamic Movement in Nigeria wishes to make it categorically clear that the site of the mass grave where the Kaduna state government admitted that it had buried 347 of those killed by the Nigerian military in Zaria last December is a crime scene, hence any attempt to tamper with it would not only be taken as a sacrilege and unacceptable, but also as an attempt to tamper with an important exhibit, which is a serious crime in itself.

    “We wish to also show our dissatisfaction with the reaction of the government at all levels to the disclosure of the existence of mass grave. The least we expected were steps to protect and safeguard the place by independent-minded bodies, to prevent any attempts at mischievous alteration or obliteration of crime facts by perpetrators. If this confession of mass grave were in other climes, it would have been accorded all the protection of a crime scene, so that eventually justice will be done to the victims. Surprisingly, however, the site is left very vulnerable to mischief-makers.

    “It remains on record that government officials testifying before the Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba-led commission had confessed to burying at least 347 corpses in a mass grave. If the military is claiming that only a “few” corpses were buried there, there should be no hasty unilateral action on any of the parties disputing the figures. Such must be done under the watchful eyes of independent observers and international ‎community.”

    However, the Nigerian Army in a statement by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations‎, 1 Division Headquarters, Kaduna, Colonel Abdul Usman said the allegation is a figment of their jaundiced imagination and a campaign of calumny against the Army.

    He said, “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn  to an online report by SAHARA REPORTERS ON 28 APRIL 2016 in which the Islamic Movement in Nigeria alleged that the Nigerian Army is planning to steal bodies from mass grave in Zaria. It further, stressed that a contingent of soldiers have been deployed to keep guard at the site of the mass grave in an effort to prevent the uncovering of the hundreds of bodies buried there. It is simply a figment of their jaundiced imagination and a campaign of calumny against the Army.

    “The Army strongly and categorically reject the IMN’s unfounded n spurious allegation. It is simply a concoction of lies and deliberate effort by the IMN to portray the Nigerian Army’s image negatively.

    “The Nigerian Army will like to make it abundantly clear that, it has never contemplated such act at anytime. It’s of no relevance whatsoever.  we are focused on discharging our constitutional duty as a professional military force. We expect any responsible media to double check such weighty allegations before going to press. Nigeria’s national security and interest must never be toyed with.

    “The Nigerian Army as a law abiding entity had already stated its facts regarding the December 12-14 incident in Zaria before the Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba led Judicial Commission of Inquiry. For the avoidance of doubt, the commission had on Wednesday 27th April, 2016 visited all the sites of the incident in Zaria including the grave site in Kaduna. It was widely aired. It is not the duty of the Army to guard any public grave site other than our own designated military cemeteries.

    “It appears that the IMN’s desire is to whip up public sympathy not minding their crimes over several years against the people of Zaria as testified by the parties at the just concluded sitting of the commission, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria failed to state her facts or opinion if any as regards the incident of December 12th and 14th 2015 before the judicial commission of inquiry.”

    He called on the general public to disregard this unfounded claim adding that the Nigerian Army will continue to safeguard the lives and property of all citizens in every part of the country.

  • Army/Shiite panel adjourns sitting till April 11

    Army/Shiite panel adjourns sitting till April 11

    The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Dec. Shiite/Nigerian Army clash in Zaria, has adjourned sitting till Monday April 11.

     

    The Justice Muhammadu Lawal-Garba-led panel adjourned the session on the request of Muhammed Sani-Kato, the counsel representing the Jamaatul Nasrul Islam and other groups at the sitting.

     

    The panel had earlier slated the day for members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) to make their presentation, but failed to appear.

     

    It would be recalled that counsel to the Ibraheem El-Zakzaky-led movement, Festus Okoye, had announced their withdrawal from the panel.

     

    In spite of the absence of the Shiite members, the panel allowed the JNI through its National Secretary, Dr Khalid Aliyu and the Zaria Branch Chairman, Abdullahi Yahya to make presentation.

     

    Yahya in his presentation, advised the Federal Government to take proactive measures to curtail the excesses of the movement for peaceful coexistence among the people especially in Zaria.

     

    He appealed to the state government to ensure that all religious movements operated within the law of the state and the Constitution of Nigeria.

     

    When the commission resumes on Monday, it is expected to hear the submissions of the Kaduna State Government.

     

    NAN reports that the Nigerian Army in its presentation on Wednesday said its action against the Shiites was within the ambit of the law.

     

    The Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. Ado Abubakar, said they followed all necessary rules of engagement to clear the blockade by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) during the incident.

     

    The Army told the commission in their memorandum, supported by audio/visual clips and still pictures that their response was to thwart alleged attack by the IMN members on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015.

     

    They alleged that the IMN members had blocked the road and denied access to the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai.

     

    According to him, the Army was compelled to use minimum force to disperse the sect members after all civil efforts failed.

     

    NAN reports that the Army was also represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Maj,-Gen Olaniyi Oyebade, Army Acting Provost Marshal, Brig.-Gen. Ayuba Hamman, and Col. S.K Usman, Acting Army Public Relations Officer.

     

    They told the panel that their men had conducted a cordon and search operation in Zaria on Dec. 14, 2015 and recovered various weapons.

     

    The Army denied involvement in the alleged killing of Shiite members during the incident as claimed by the IMN leader, El-Zakzaky, currently in DSS custody.