A group of Civil Society
Organisation, CSOs, on Thursday admonished the Federal Government to proscribe
the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, also known as Shi’ites “without any
further delay.”
The CSOs gave the call while
lamenting the recent clashes between security agencies and Shi’ite members
wherein lives were lost and many injured.
They warned that should the
Federal Government fail to act within the next 72 hours, they will be forced to
stage a mass protest in Abuja in few days to press home their demand.
A statement signed by the
convener of the Assembly on behalf of the 22 CSOs, Adodo Solomon, said IMN has
become a threat to national security and citizens going about their peaceful
businesses in the country.
They also urged the United
Nations and all relevant international bodies to warn those behind the IMN, who
are domiciled in Iran to stop sponsoring terrorism on Nigeria soil.
Solomon stated that the
activities of the IMN must be curtailed before they snowball into hardened
extremism and terrorism above Boko Haram.
According to him, another
worrisome dimension is the revelation that members of the opposition in Nigeria
have hijacked the activities of the IMN to destabilize the peace that citizens
are currently enjoying.
The statement reads, “On Saturday
October 27, 2018 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) clashed with
military personnel in Zuba, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT). The official statement from the military indicated members of
the group had attempted to obstruct a military convoy transporting weapons with
a view to snatching the consignment.
“IMN’ official position was that
its members were on a trek to storm Abuja with one million members to demand
the release of their leader, Mr. Ibrahim El-Zakyzaky.
“The confrontation with the
military continued on Sunday, October 28, 2018 along the Kubwa Express Way as
the IMN members again attempted to storm the nation’s capital. They attacked
security personnel, which in turn necessitated the security personnel to take
defensive steps.
“IMN issued a statement
afterwards to malign the personnel they had attacked by lying that they
overheard a conversation about “orders from above” for maximum force to be
deployed against their members.
“Monday October 29, 2018 was
rendered violent by IMN members, who surfaced this time around in the
Karu/Nyanyan/Mararaba axis with the same goal of attempting to overwhelm Abuja
in their numbers to carry out violent protests under the guise of demanding the
release of El-Zakyzaky.
“This act of criminality forced
hardworking Nigerians to trek long distances to get to their homes while
children in the affected vicinity have been traumatized by the ringing of
gunshots.
“On Tuesday, October 30, 2018,
IMN members breached the streets housing strategic government institutions and
obstructed the free flow of traffic. This was done ostensibly to trigger a
faceoff with security agencies but they were disappointed as their mischief is
well known. In their determination to provoke security agencies, the IMN
members set ablaze a police vehicle in Wuse 2 where they openly attacked
security agents and other citizens randomly.
“Previous demonstrations or
protests by IMN members were equally violent. There are enough video clips and
pictures on the internet of these people attacking security and military
personnel. As is the case now, some of these members carry weapons while a
large number of them deploy projectiles of various forms that have left several
persons hospitalized with life-changing injuries.
“Another thing that stands out in
the IMN violence is the destruction targeted at public and private property. In
the last few days under consideration, they willfully destroyed cars belonging
to law-abiding Nigerians while also destroying vehicles belonging to law
enforcement agents and the military.
”Furthermore, there is a pattern
of these IMN members aiming their protests to spill into commercial areas,
which gives us the sense that there could be a deliberate ploy to overrun
businesses with the intention to loot and pillage.
“In the space of a few weeks, IMN
is on the verge of adding Abuja to the list of countries that are not safe for
international travel and investment. If they succeed in doing this or if we
collectively permit it, then they would have assisted Iran in destroying
Nigeria without invading us.
“It is of note that Kaduna State
Government had outlawed the IMN as a militarized extremist group that is a
clear danger to the society. This decision on the part of Kaduna state
government followed the due process established by law and recognized by the
constitution, including a Judicial Commission of Inquiry that indicted the IMN.
“Our groups have followed the
interventions being made in this matter with keen interest and a large dose of
concern chiefly because few organizations and individuals have been objective
enough to condemn the acts of terrorism being committed by IMN. What has been
dominant is people that are faulting an assumed state high handed response to
curtail the destruction being unleashed by the extremists.
“We recognize that some people
that think they are being objective have in reality been manipulated by IMN
propaganda, which was designed and developed offshore to be ruthlessly
efficient.
“The regime of fear, intimidation
and sheer brigandage run by IMN in Zaria, Kaduna state before they were
dislodged is well known across the country and it is not one that should be
repeated in any other part of the world and certainly not in Abuja that is the
unifying location for Nigerians.
“We, therefore, caution the
appropriate military and security agencies that they have limited time to
contain the lawlessness of IMN and take steps to make its members desist from
fomenting forthwith. The demanded actions will include identifying the cell
leaders that are coordinating these attacks on Nigerians and those with the
duty of protecting them.
“Where the authorities fail to
rein in the IMN we have no other option than to come out in full to demonstrate
that it is not only IMN that has the monopoly to protest. We shall meet the
extremist group on the street member for member until they learn to respect the
secularity of Nigeria and the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution over
dubious sectarian creeds.
“We strongly advise that the
Federal Government wakes up to its responsibility and proscribes the
lawlessness terrorist organization that IMN has proven itself to be. The hate
speech by the organization must be curtailed immediately. Failure for the
Federal Government to act within the next 72 hours will force the CSOs in this
coalition to stage a mass protest in Abuja on Monday next week.
“The United Nations and all
relevant supranational bodies are urged to warn the sponsors of IMN who are
domiciled in Iran to stop sponsoring terrorism on Nigeria soil. If its sponsors
believe that the poison that the group is spewing on the streets is good then
they should give termless visas and one-way flight tickets to the youths they
have radicalized to come and take up practice in Iran.”
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I can imagine some micro set of individual would distrupt a country with multi-population of million the security agency at different level or department here is time for me necessary action it must not get out of hands
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine some micro set of individual would distrupt a country with multi-population of million the security agency at different level or department here is time for me necessary action it must not get out of hands
ReplyDelete