The Presidency has said proscription of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) led by Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky has nothing to do with banning the larger numbers of peaceful and law abiding Shi’ites in the country from practising their religion.
A statement by Garba Shehu, spokesman to President Muhammadu Buhari, noted that instead, it was to discourage wanton violence, murder and willful destruction of public and private property.
The Presidency explained that contrary to the claim by IMN that it had been banned from practicing its religion, President Buhari’s administration has not banned Shi’ites from observing their five daily prayers and going to Mecca to perform the Holy pilgrimage.
“Their position is blatantly false and deceptive”, it added.
“The IMN is deliberately changing the narrative in order to gain sympathy and divert the attention of the world from its terrorist activities, including attacking soldiers, killing policemen and a youth corps member, destroying government ambulances and public property, consistently defying authority of the state.
“The Presidency notes that the banned organisation was taken over by extremists who didn’t believe in peaceful protests and instead employed violence and arson, driving fear and undermining the rights of others and constituted authority.
“The Presidency insists that such criminal behaviour and disregard for rights of others and human life will not be tolerated by any responsible government, molesting others, or engaging in murder and killing of security personnel or destroying public and private property.
“The Presidency regrets that despite all efforts by the government and other well-meaning Nigerians to make the IMN militants to see reason and abandon violence, such appeals fell on deaf ears as they killed, maimed and destroyed willfully, constituting daily nuisance to workers, commuters and other innocent citizens.
…it’s illegal, unconstitutional – Lawyers
Senior lawyers have condemned the Federal Government’s move to proscribe the Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).
In his reaction to the proscription order, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, described it as “immoral and illegal.”
He said the proscription of the IMN for protesting against the disobedience of court orders by the federal government”is immoral and illegal in every material particular.”
Falana, a counsel to Shi’ite leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, then accused the federal government led by Buhari, a Sunni Muslim, of using the instrument of state to wage war against the Shi’ites. The Shi’ites and the Sunnis are two constantly opposing factions in Islam globally.
“It is particularly opportunistic on the part of the Sunnis occupying public offices to use the instrumentality of the State to liquidate the Shiites.
“The illegal proscription of the IMN should be withdrawn. It will not stand as the fundamental right of the Shiites to freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed.”
Similarly, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, described the declaration of the Shiite movement as a terrorist group as unconstitutional on the grounds that a religious group could not be banned.
He added that proscription was a violation of the rights of the members of the group guaranteed under Sections 38, 40 and 41 of the Constitution,
“The Shiite group is a religious group, like the president’s Sunni group. It is not an association that could be banned. Section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution makes Nigeria a secular state,” Ozekhome, said.
He also argued that the proscription is discriminatory as armed herdsmen who have killed hundreds of Nigerians have not been declared a terror group.
Another lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, described the move by the government as unconstitutional and a nullity.
He argued that no arm of government has the right to take away the freedom of fellow Nigerians without a proper trial.
…ban, huge joke – Shi’ites
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has said it will not be distracted by the court order, declaring the sect as a terrorist organisation.
A federal high court in Abuja had declared the group a terrorist organisation, following an ex parte application filed by the federal government.
In a statement on Sunday, Ibrahim Musa, president of IMN media forum, described the order as a “joke.”
He said the order will not distract the group from continuing its demand that Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, its leader, who has been in detention since 2015, should be released.
The spokesman said though the group is yet to receive the copy of the order, its lawyers are already studying the development.
“The Islamic Movement has learnt of the fallacious court order for its proscription by a high court in Abuja, that it is a terrorist group,” the statement read.
“This order, we believe, was hastily obtained to sweep under the carpet the glaring human rights abuses suffered by the Islamic Movement at the hands of Buhari’s administration since the Zaria genocide of December, 2015. We reject any false flag terror attacks that the authorities would be plotting in our name, and by this assure the general public that we have never contemplated the use of terror tactics in our ways. This is not about to change.
IMN had earlier told online medium, The Cable that the federal government could not stop it from practising its religion.
…as military moves against Islamic group
The military Special Task Force (STF) in charge of security in Plateau State said it had taken steps to avoid any protest by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in the state.
STF Commander, Maj.-Gen. Augustine Agundu, in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Jos, said that proactive measures had been put in place in collaboration with other security agencies in Plateau to forestall any form of protest.
According to him, the steps are imperative in order to avoid a ripple effects of the Shi’ites protests in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
“With the unfortunate incident that happened in Abuja over the IMN protest, we have taken a lot of proactive measures so that such a thing does not emanate here.
“We have engaged the Sheik who is of the Shiite Islamic sect and told him that we have a peculiar case here in Plateau.
“The organisation is already proscribed here in Plateau.
“We are planning on how to mobilise our forces because in the euphoria of celebration, there may be one or two altercations.
