Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, the largest Shi’ite sect in Nigeria, have vowed not to bow or submit to the tyranny and oppression of the Nigerian government.
The sect said it would continue with the protest to demand for the release of their leaders, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky despite the police clampdown order.
This group disclosed this on Sunday, September 1, 2019, in Abuja in a press statement signed by the President of the Media Forum of the Movement, Ibrahim Musa.
The movement said the order by the Inspector General of Police to arrest all the leaders of the movement and dismantle their structures across the states was dead on arrival and cannot stand.
According to the group ”We are the followers of Imam Husain (AS), the Grandson of Prophet Muhammad, SAW, We will never bow and submit to tyranny, oppression and extrajudicial killings ”
IMN noted that President Muhammadu Buhari led government had cultivated the habit of denying them space to conduct their religious activities at the commencement of the first month of the Islamic calendar ( Muharram) when all Shi’ites are expected to converge.
Musa stated that the latest order by the police has confirmed that the government is hell-bent to scuttle this year Muharram religious mourning obligations. He added that the order was handed down on the eve of the programme (Muharram).
The statement read ” It is on record that the Buhari administration, since its inception in 2015, has always used the commencement of the first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram to persecute, kill and maim us and deny us any space to conduct all our religious rites expected of all Shi’ites.
” This recent order given on the eve of Muharram this year underlines the evil intention of the government to continue this pattern of attacks against Shia Islam and prevent us from conducting all our Muharram religious mourning obligations ”
The sect pointed out that the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir Elrufa’i has engaged the service of vigilante groups to descend on the group during Ashura mourning session in Kaduna.
The statement said the movement would not be deterred or intimidated by the suppression order adding that the protest to demand for the release of its leader would go on.
” Members of the Islamic Movement will most certainly remain steadfast and continue with all our religious programs and activities of Ashura mourning as well as the peaceful struggle for the freedom of Sheikh Zakzaky and the hundred others still in detention since the infamous Zaria genocide of December 2015.
”We have since challenged the proscription order in court and should our rights and freedoms to worship be further infringed upon in any way, we will not hesitate to take all necessary legitimate measures to enforce our rights ”
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