Shiites knock groups, religious bodies canvassing IMN’s proscription, label as terrorists

Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites, has said that groups and religious bodies canvassing the prosecution of IMN by the Federal Government are the real terrorists and enemies of Nigeria that should be investigated.

Its members took a sweep on those asking the government to proscribe the group, saying that they represented the same elements that joined forces with soldiers to unleash the attack against members of the IMN in Zaria, during the 2015 bloody clash.

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Mallam Ibrahim Musa yesterday, IMN pointed out that “reports from the media indicated that participants at a one-day seminar for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) and other critical stakeholders held in Abuja have recommended prosecution of Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Leaders and members for terrorism.” 

According to him, “the communiqué issued at the end of the seminar and signed by Jonathan Audu, Abubakar Wakil Mohammad and Osita Egbuniwehe said the activities of IMN members if not urgently checked may constitute another insurgent war,” noting, “the event doubled as the launch of a book, “Terror in the Caliphate: An Exposition of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Shiites) by Sunday Attah.”
 
Musa explained that “the organisers of this conference are the latest entry in the race to get the federal government to join Kaduna State in proscribing the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and prosecuting its leaders and by no means will they be the last, because their sponsors are the same criminals that masterminded and executed the brutal massacre of unarmed civilians in Zaria, December, 2015.”
 
He said further: “We have said it times without numbers that the Islamic Movement does not hold any opinion that borders on extremism, let alone unleash terror on the populace. An extremist Muslim group will never invite Christians to all its programmes and activities, let alone to protect them during sectarian clashes. An extremist Shiite group will never invite Sunnis to its programmes and activities, let alone offer assistance to the community. Therefore, the public cannot be deceived into believing that we are terrorists or about to be, as our antagonist will want them to believe.”
 
“Hence those canvassing for the designation of the Islamic Movement as a terror group are the real terrorists, judging by the fact that they are supporting those that killed 1000+ civilians in Zaria and many more in Kano, Kaduna and Abuja and they are on their payroll. Such civil rights groups will never be heard talking on the impunity to court orders that this administration is notorious for and the various predicaments citizens are forced to live with by this government ranging from hunger, insecurity and economic improvisation.”

Musa argued: “They are only heard and noticed if it has to do with rubbishing the Islamic Movement in Nigeria unjustly. The organisers of this ill-fated conference couldn’t even hide their identity of being Wahabi fronts, who are known for their penchant in branding other Muslims as unbelievers.”

“Instead of addressing our Leader as Sheikh, they shamelessly addressed him as Mister in their communiqué, something which is alien to our norms of addressing religious leaders. They have exposed themselves and their paymasters; hence they cannot deceive the public by adopting Christian names. They used mostly Christians that included a pastor in the conference to cover their tracks and even launched a book against the Islamic Movement in their act of desperation. 

“However they should get it in their blocked heads that Christians are our brothers in humanity. Our protests against impunity by the federal government against a valid federal high court order releasing our Leader, Sheikh Zakzaky from detention and seeking justice to the victims of Zaria massacre of December, 2015 will continue to be peaceful no matter the sacrifice needed, for justice cannot be denied, it can only be delayed.”