Shiites take ‘free El-Zakzaky’ protests to U.S, British consulates in Abuja

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also called Shiites, yesterday staged protests to the consulates of the United States of America and the British High Commission in Abuja.

The move was to mark one year of calls to free its leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky andhis wife who have been in detention for over two years.

Thousands of IMN members called for their release in a letter they submitted to both embassies.

They justified their stance on the bail granted by competent courts of law, which the Federal Government has failed to obey.

Abdullahi Muhammad Musa signed the letters on behalf of the Academic Forum of the IMN.

In a letter to the British High Commission, the sect alleged that youths, students, university lecturers of the Islamic movement and other concerned Nigerians are fully aware of the role played by the United Kingdom, United States and Israel in the planning and execution of the 2015 Zaria massacre, as well as the illegal detention of Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife.

“If you recall, we wrote numerous letters to your Commission requesting for the facilitation of the immediate release of Sheikh Zakzaky and observance of the rule of law in Nigeria. But, as the champions of the so-called democracy, which assert to protect the rights of people, you watched as hundreds of students, women and children were massacred in December 2015 at Zaria, hence, you continue to support the tyrannical administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,” the sect said.

The statement added that the world is now aware that the Zaria massacre was a pre-planned pogrom, which was well scripted to eliminate Shaikh Zakzaky and his Islamic movement for imperialism to gain full control over our resources and for occupation purposes.

It expressed concern that more than one thousand people were extra-judicially killed during the Zaria killings and buried in mass graves in Mando, Kaduna, and other unknown places.

“It is clear that Sheikh Zakzaky was attacked because of his stance against injustice, corruption, occupation, crime against humanity, disunity of the people and imperialism,” the group further alleged.

The sect stressed that during the Zaria pogrom, El-Zakzaky was shot at close range for him to die, but Allah wish to see him alive from the barbaric attack. He has since been denied proper medical care, but he is still living.

The Shiites lamented that despite the court judgment that ordered for his unconditional release, the Buhari-led government has killed many people over 100 people since the IMN began its protests.