Nigerian Shiites Muslims Deny Planning Reprisal

Nigerian Shiites Muslims Deny Planning Reprisal 

 

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shiites sect, has distanced itself from any planned attack in retaliation for the death of their members during their clash with entourage of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen., Tukur Buratai, in Zaria, Kaduna State, last year.  

The leader of IMN Media Forum, Ibrahim Musa, in a statement denied the report insinuating that the IMN “under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky is planning a revenge mission for the killings done to it by the army in Zaria.”

Musa said the report by some online media sites titled: ‘Alert: Shiites Threaten Mass Revolt Nationwide,’ was predicated on an extracted part of a speech by a member of the Islamic Movement in Kano, which was taken out of context.

“We hereby categorically deny that there is any plan to ‘hit back at the army and other symbols of authority’ as claimed by the report.  This is only a ploy to start series of false flag operations whereby attacks will be staged somewhere and these will be attributed to the Islamic movement as a ‘revenge attacks," he said.

He recalled that security operatives had a long history of planning such attacks, especially when all efforts to justify their atrocities failed woefully. 

He said: “Similar plots were exposed soon after the daylight cold-blooded murder of 34 members of IMN in 2014. It must be made clear however that any such attacks, now or in the future, is not by the Movement or its members as we wish to reiterate that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria has never ever even contemplated taking up arms or use of violence as a means to achieving our aims. We remain committed to our non-violent ways of extending our message of fairness and justice to all irrespective of sect or religion.

“There has never been a single occasion when the IMN under the leadership of his Zakzaky ever threaten the peace and stability of Nigeria or engaged in any form of violence throughout its 38 years of existence. We have always been the victims of those who are opposed to justice because of our insistence that due process of law should be followed by those in authority.”

Musa assured that IMN will never be distracted by anyone and no amount of provocation or incitement would make the IMN ever engage in any form of violent activity.

He said their “leader Shaikh Zakzaky has said it many times in his discourses that the large following the Movement enjoys among the Nigerian people is not due to the use of arms by the Islamic Movement, but rather by its adherence to truth and justice for all irrespective of religion, tribe and region.”