The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, also known as Shiites on Sunday, vowed to continue with its activities amid weekend’s directive to police commands and formations by IGP Mohammed Adamu for the immediate dismantling of structures belonging to the sect nationwide.
Muftahu Zakariyyah, IMN’s South West Coordinator, said it was a goof on the part of the police chief “to threaten arrest of over 30 million citizens who are currently members of the group.”
Claiming that the decision was illegal and contempt of court order, he averred that the force lacked the capacity to execute the ‘threat’.
Adamu had specifically ordered a special team to demolish buildings belonging to the Shiites as well as prevent their processions in line with their July 30, 2019 prescription by government.
Also reacting through a statement in Kaduna, Mallam Ibrahim Musa, President of the IMN Media Forum, reiterated the resolve of the group to proceed with its religious obligations in Nigeria.
He alleged: “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 Shiites.
“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.”
He claimed that “a parade of show of force by the Sokoto police command in dozens of vehicles has started in a neighbourhood with a large population of members of the Islamic movement despite the existence of a substantive court order from a Sokoto high court obtained since January 31st 2018 restraining the police force from curtailing the activities of the Islamic movement in the state.
“Similarly, in a meeting held in Kaduna, it was decided that the El-Rufa’i administration will engage the vigilance groups to clamp down on any Ashura mourning session in Kaduna and environs to augment attacks by the police command since the force has thus far failed to ‘finish’ the Islamic movement.”
