Abuja indigenes deny attacking Shiites members

Abuja indigenes under the auspices of Concerned Abuja Natives and Indigenes have denied allegations that they attacked the followers of Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky.

The Abuja indigenes made this denial following a media report which suggested that they (Abuja indigenes) assaulted the members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, also known as Shi’ites.

Addressing journalists on behalf of Concerned Abuja Natives and Indigenes, Ayedo Danjuma Abdul said after investigation, it established that the accusations were baseless.

“Our attention has been drawn to a news item published on Wednesday, 21st August 2019 by the Daily Trust newspapers and other media outlets where Comrade Yunusa Yusuf accused supporters of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky of assault in Guzape area of the Federal Capital Territory, however unfoundedly.

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“We wish to inform the general public that concerned Abuja natives and indigenes have investigated the accusation and found it to be baseless. The story was either fabricated in order to carry out media propaganda against the followers of Sheikh Zakzaky in Abuja or was just a deliberate act of whispering campaign to curry favour with security personnel.

“Otherwise, the whole thing is obviously clear, and the unwarranted accusation is self-explanatory. In the accuser’s briefing, both the suspect and the assaulted were unidentified and thus unknown, and even the hospital where the latter is said to be receiving medication is undisclosed. There is no disputing the fact that desperation is another form of persecution, and it is what the Federal government is exhibiting.

“The accusation was investigated; first, by visiting the community and, second, by making an inquiry into the allegation. We visited Guzape and near-by areas on Wednesday, 21st August 2019 so as to verify the accusation only for us to discover that there was no element of truth in it. Besides, on Thursday, 22nd August 2019 a gentleman from Kpaduma II informed us that a week ago unknown bandits attacked one Mr Ireniah and his brother, Sunday in Kpaduma II. But, up to this very moment, the victims and the community have not blamed such ruthless brutality on any single individual or a group of people”.

Abdul, however, advised the accusers to visit the scenes to ascertain the true situation of things and apologize to the Islamic Movement of Nigeria.

“We, therefore, advise Comrade Yunusa Yusuf to visit Kpaduma II to ascertain the true narration of the incident and apologize to the followers of Sheikh Zakzaky for this baseless and mischievous allegation. If in the immediate family of Mr Yunusa there is no supporter of Sheikh Zakzaky, many good families among Abuja natives and indigenes have them cherished.

“You can’t give an ultimatum to a people born and brought up in a place, and without any other to relocate to. Any grievance that we have, which causes us pains and deep resentment, we seek for its redress from where we have to call our home. Abuja is our home, and whoever wants to create a monster here, will alone be haunted by it.

“There are Abuja natives and indigenes among Sheikh Zakzaky’s followers, and the activities of the Islamic movement under the leadership of the Sheikh have been in existence in the FCT for more than two decades and are still going on in a civil manner. Thus, mere media propaganda and barefaced lies cannot uproot the legacy built-in relating with natives and residents of Abuja, Muslims and Christians, peacefully”.

While noting that the followers of Sheikh El-Zakzaky are contributing to the peaceful coexistence of local communities in Abuja, Abdul said the call by the accusers for self-defence against the Shi’ites is a call for violence.

“The concerned Abuja natives and indigenes wish to confirm that Sheikh Zakzaky’s followers are contributing immensely in the peaceful coexistence of local communities in Abuja and its economic development as well. This unfounded accusation is just an attempt to break the yoke of the amiable fraternity between Abuja natives and indigenes.

“The call made by Comrade Yunusa Yusuf for self-defence against Shiites based on baseless allegations is, of course, a call for violence. We hereby decline any form of violence and urge other Abuja natives and residents to discard all calls for violence completely, as without peace nothing could be achieved in this transient life.

“Finally, concerned Abuja natives and indigenes are advising the Federal Government to release Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah as ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja on December 2, 2016”, Abdul added.