The police high command yesterday outlawed processions and activities of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) nationwide. Citing the ruling of a Federal High Court, the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, yesterday declared the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) belonging to the Shiite Islamic sect, a terrorist group and enemy of the state.
Communicating the position of the Federal Government in the wake of the sect’s proscription by the court at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, Adamu warned that any person associating with the group’s name would henceforth be treated as a terrorist and tried under the Terrorism Act. The IGP said the police and other security agencies were committed to giving full effect to the court’s ruling in the interest of internal security and national cohesion. The IGP accused members of the sect of pledging allegiance to foreign nations with the intent to destabilize Nigeria.
Adamu held that the Islamic movement had over the years, constituted a serious threat to good governance, sovereignty, security and the corporate existence of the country. He clarified: “Hence, it is to be emphasized that while all adherents of the Shiite sect in Nigeria remain free to continue to practice their faith and shall be guaranteed adequate security to so do as the judicial order does not stop them, (but) the El-Zakzaky-led Islamic Movement in Nigeria which does not recognize nor accept the constitution and government of the federation is the sole organisation that has been classified as a terrorist organisation and proscribed.”
The IGP’s reading the riot act came as the IMN announced a temporary suspension of its “free Zakzaky” street protests. Members of the Islamic organisation have been protesting against the continuous detention of their leader and his wife, Zeenat, who have been in detention for over three years. The IMN leader and his wife have been in detention since their arrest in December 2015, following a violent clash between his followers and the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna state.
IMN spokesman, who announced the suspension of the protests in a statement on Wednesday, said the action was to allow room for some new openings aimed at resolving the problem. He said the decision to suspend the protests was taken in good faith, adding that it is out of respect for some eminent people and groups, whose input in the resolution of the problem looks genuine. The statement said: “The Islamic Movement in Nigeria do hereby announce to the general public and the international community that it has temporarily suspended its ’Free Zakzaky’ street protests to allow for some new openings into the resolution of the problems, especially the court case instituted by our lawyers on the proscription order made by the federal government this week.
”It has taken this step in good faith out of respect for some eminent people and groups, whose input in the resolution of the problems appears genuine and we sincerely hope an amicable way could be found to solve the crises surrounding the illegal detention of our leader for almost four years now. If at all any protests occur anywhere in the country, it might be this notice hasn’t reach those in the field or this message is misunderstood or it is some security agents who are mischievously behind it as they have been doing in an attempt to smear our image and be seen as unruly people rather than as victims of savage oppression since 2015.
”The Islamic Movement wishes to thank both national and international civil rights activists and organizations who have been busy demanding the protection of our fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution. We also thank the press, both national and international, and the social media activists for the full coverage of our activities throughout the struggle for justice. We are committed to exploring the new openings we have seen in resolving this protracted issue. We therefore reiterate our demand that our leader, his wife and several others in detention be given their freedom denied to them since 2015.“
