Worried by the federal government’s refusal to court orders, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise know as Shiites, yesterday called on the international community to persuade the federal government to release its leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife after a year and one month in solitary confinement.
It also appealed to the international community to ensure Nigeria commits to upholding religious rights and freedom, failing which the Nigerian government should be isolated and sanctioned.
The Chairman, Shuhadah (Martyrs) Foundation, (IMN), Sheik Abdulhameed Bello, made the call at a press conference in Abuja, where he also revealed that the movement was in the process of heading back to court to enforce court judgment delivered on December 2, 2016, by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
According to him, “the detention of El-Zakzaky and his wife since December 14, 2015 is illegal and unconstitutional and violates their fundamental right to health and association.”
He added that the movement finds it difficult to understand why the government has decided against all international human tights form and tenets of decency to hold its leader without trial
Bello noted that, “a few people that do not wish our movement well claimed that we do not recognise the sovereignty of Nigeria and it’s institutions, yet we took our grievances to a properly constituted court of law.
“The government claimed that members of our movement do not obey rule of law and due process but it is our leader that has been held in solitary confinement for one year and one month without charges against him and without the authorities alleging any offence being filed against him. The houses of our leader has been destroyed. His children have been brutally killed. His wife is in custody and carrying bullet wounds,” he stated.
The group therefore demanded and insisted that its leader and his wife be released unconditionally and in accordance with the procedures laid down in the judgment of the Federal High Court.
It also demanded that, “the Kaduna State government must discontinue its unjustified persecution of over 350 of its members that are facing charges of culpable homicide in 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 1,000 of our members and has refused to prosecute those that carried out the heinous murder.”
It equally demanded that the government should desist from infiltrating the movement using fifth columnists and agent of provocateurs, while insisting that the sect does not believe in violence or use of violence to achieve its objective.
“We urge the international community to persuade the government to obey the order a of court, and to release our leader unconditionally. We also appeal to the international community to commit Nigeria to upholding religious and freedoms, failing which Nigerian government and its agents been isolated and sanctioned.”
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