TheCable

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), better known as the Shi’ites, has urged the international community to isolate and sanction Nigeria if it insists on keeping Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, its leader, in detention.

The group said it would not take to violence in spite of government’s provocation and incitement, hence its appeal.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Abdulhameed Bello, a leader of the group, said members of the movement did not believe in violence.

While calling on the government to immediately release El-Zakzaky and his wife, Bello said the group would use every constitutional means to ensure his release.

Bello spoke on the background of the judgment of the federal high court, Abuja, ordering the immediate release of the detainees on December 2, 2016.

Gabriel Kolawole, justice of the court, had given the government 45 days to release El-Zakzaky and his wife. He had also ordered the government to give them N50m as compensation for illegally keeping them in detention since December 2015.

The 45-day deadline elapsed on Monday, but the government has not obeyed the order of the court.

It was in view of this that Bello, a sheikh, called on the government to show its respect for the rule of law by releasing the detainees.

“We demand and insist that the federal government and its agencies must release our leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife Malama Zeenatu Ibraheem unconditionally and in accordance with the procedures laid down in the judgment of the federal high court delivered on the 2nd day of December 2016,” he said.

“The federal government and its agencies must obey the orders of the federal high court Abuja, as they have a responsibility to show good example to the people of Nigeria as a regime that believes in the rule of law and due process. Serial disobedience to court orders and contempt for the fundamental rights of citizens to freedom of religion does not portray our country as one that is ready to manage its religious diversity in a way that strengthens the federation.

“The Kaduna state must discontinue its unjustified persecution of over 350 of its members that are facing charges of culpable homicide in the Kaduna high court on the wobbly ground that all 350 of them killed one soldier, whereas the Kaduna state government participated in the illegal and unconstitutional burial of over 1000 of our members and has refused to prosecute those that carried out the heinous murder.

“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria demands that the government desist from trying to infiltrate the movement using fifth columnists and agent provocateurs. The Islamic Movement in Nigeria does not believe in violence or the use of violence to achieve its objectives. The federal government and the Kaduna state government have been and continue to engage in provocative acts aimed at inciting the movement to take to the path of violence in vain. The Islamic Movement in Nigeria assures the Nigerian public that any act of violence attributed to it can only emanate from agent provocateurs being injected into the movement by state agents.

“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria thanks the human rights community and professional groups and organisations for their support in this matter thus far, and urges them to persuade the government to release our leader and his wife and withdraw all trumped up charges against members of our Movement.

“We urge the international community to persuade the government to obey the orders of court, and to release our leader unconditionally. We also appeal to the international community to commit Nigeria to upholding religious rights and freedoms, failing which the Nigerian government and its agents be isolated and sanctioned.

“The Islamic Movement will continue to use all constitutional and legitimate means and avenues to drive home its points. These include the right of its members to organize and practice their faith in accordance with constitutional injunctions.”