We still have about 55 members in detention, protest will continue ― Shi’ites

Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has said that the Nigerian Authority still has about 55 of its members in detention, especially those arrested in 2019 during the protest.

Recall that the IMN, also known as Shi’ites took to the streets when their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky was arrested in 2015 after several of his followers were murdered by the Nigerian Army during their annual Quds procession.

After his arrest and detention, thousands of his members protested daily for about 6 years before the court discharged him last year.

Professor Isa Mshelgaru of the Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria during the 8th Annual International Quds Conference said the conference was to commemorate an incident that happened seven years ago in relation to Quds day that took place in Zaria.

He recalled that they were observing the Quds procession before the Nigerian army opened fire on their members after they were labelled Boko Haram, which led to the death of hundreds, including three sons of Sheikh El-Zakzaky.

“We are here to commemorate an incident that happened seven years ago in relation to Quds day that took place in Zaria. On that day, people came out for a procession marking annual Quds day, in the process, the Nigerian Army under the cover of Boko Haram came out and attacked, killing a lot of people from behind the procession.

“Today is a day we are marking that event to remember our heroes and also to tell the world that there are still many people behind ready to make sacrifices until the aims of those people that sacrificed their lives are achieved. We are here to get our people together to pursue the objectives of those people that sacrificed their lives,” he said.

He said the Nigerian government had refused to release about 55 of its members who were arrested and detained in Abuja during their protest in 2019.

“We have a lot of members still in detention, here in Abuja, we have them, especially those who were arrested in 2019, about 55 of them were arrested and detained, some of them were killed and the corpses were taken away.

“Those that are still in detention in Abuja are being kept because the government framed up charges against them in order to get a chance of keeping them there. We have followed different ways to get them out, we have some cases in court that we are pursuing to make sure that we get them released, but still, the cases are still dragging.

“We will continue the protest, when the Sheikh was detained, we protested for nearly six years and most of the time on a daily basis, we didn’t get tired, fighting for our rights is a continuous process, there is no way we will abandon our right. We will continue pursuing our rights using all legal means until we get it, so the procession and other things related to it get our rights on the table.

Speaking on the seizure of the Sheikh’s passport by the Nigerian Authority, another member of IMN, Shuaibu Ahmed said El-Zakzaky still has bullet fragments in his body and requires a medical trip for treatment.

“Seizing his passport means bad for him since he has bullets in his body system and the bullet emits lead which is poisonous, it is only a miracle that has made the Sheikh survive. At one point, he had a stroke twice while in detention without proper care; his wife is suffering from knee problems.

“Had it been we have the facilities that can cure him in this country, we would have taken him there, even the government officials do not use Nigerian hospitals, so why would they seize his passport?

“We will follow all legal means to ensure that his passport is being brought back to him, this is a mass movement, some can write as a method of protesting, some may decide to come out to the street to protest peacefully,” he noted.

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