The Leadership of Islamic Movement of Nigeria on Monday in Kano accused the Federal Government of plotting to wipe out the movement in the country.
At an emergency press briefing held in Kano, the Head of Martyr Foundation of IMN, Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello, maintained that in Kan, the Ashura procession had ended peacefully before security agents, who he claimed masqueraded as members of a youth vanguard group, attacked Shitte members.
According to him, since the eruption of the Shitte sect face-off with law enforcement agents, President Muhammadu Buhari had neither intervened nor sympathised with the victims of police attacks.
Bello maintained that the Federal Government’s continued silence over the persistent victimisation of Shitte’s members was a subtle plot to permanently stop them from practising their faith and mode of worship.
‘’We were walking away from Kano toward Zaria and we did not obstruct traffic. It was the heavily armed police officers, who scattered the hitherto orderly, peaceful and solemn procession. There was simply no justification for the police attack, who unjustifiably shot indiscriminately, killing men, women and children, including an eight month-old infant.’’
Bello also called on the Federal Government to compel security agents to release the corpses of their over 100 members so that “we can organise a befitting burial for them according to Islamic rites.”
He urged Nigerians “to be mindful of the shameless disregard to civilians’ lives and property exhibited by the Buhari-led administration.”
Bello urged Nigerians to caution “President Buhari and his lieutenants and to remind them that they were not voted into office to kill those they harbour religious enmity against.”
“Finally, we also reiterate our demand for the unconditional release of our leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, his wife, and all those being detained illegally since the pogrom against us commenced,” he said.
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