Since the arrest of the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky in 2015, there have been series of protest by the group for his release, some of which have involved violent clashes with the Police.
The movement first clashed with security operatives in July, 2014, which resulted in the loss of 35 lives including El-Zakzaky’s three sons.
The group was reportedly marching for the annual Al-Quds day, a protest for the Federal Government to close its ties with Israel for their continuing genocide in Palestine, when the Military opened fire.
But according to Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier Gen. Olajide Laleye, the Army did not initiate the shooting, but the soldiers were acting on self-defence, after being fired at.
Responding to the attack, Editor of Al-Mizan, Ibrahim Musa, the weekly newspaper published by the group, said:
“Reports reaching our news desk now indicated that some soldiers of the Nigerian army have opened fire on the tail end of the Quds procession held after Jumaat prayers in Zaria, Kaduna State. The Quds procession was held today peacefully in more than 10 Nigerian cities. Why the attack on the Zaria procession?”
While also reacting to the occurrence, Zakzaky appealed that the members should be patient and calm.
“After the burial of those killed, we will decide what action to take. I have communicated with the authorities, and they are all claiming not to be aware of the operation. It is my belief that the operation was ordered from Abuja.”
The following year, a set of youths from the group protested the killing of a member by blocking the way, an action which led to arguments with the Nigerian Army as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Tukur Buratai and his entourage tried to drive pass. In the end 300 lives were lost. The Army quickly explained this by claiming the blocking of the road was an attempt at the life of its Chief.
According to Army Spokesman, Sani Usman, members of the Shiite group had barricaded the road Mr. Buratai’s motorcade was passing to pay homage to the Emir of Zazzau.
“The sect numbering hundreds carrying dangerous weapons barricaded the roads with bonfires, heavy stones and tyres.”
Usman further said the group members refused all entreaties to disperse and then started firing and pelting the convoy with dangerous objects. He said the barricade was obviously a deliberate attempt to assassinate Buratai and members of his entourage.
“The troops responsible for the safety and security of the Chief of Army Staff on hearing explosion and firing were left with no choice than to defend him and the convoy at all cost as well as open up the barricaded road for law abiding citizens.
“This is in line with the Nigerian Army Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct. This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated from any individual or groups and should not be allowed to repeat itself.”
But countering the claims of the Army, the group explained that the claim that the COAS narrowly escaped assassination as alleged by the Spokesmen is nothing but false.
The Army’s claim raised questions as to why after “clearing” the road the COAS was to take, it went further to attack the Organization’s headquarters. After the clash, the Army raided three locations of the movement and arrested members including the group’s leader, and his wife.
In a Statement signed by Isah K, on behalf of the group, he said the members of the movement were unarmed and had gathered for a ceremony to herald the beginning of the month of Rabiul/Auwal- the birth month of the Prophet of Islam, Prophet Muhammad.
“Any excuse given by the military as reason for besieging Hussainiyyah and firing for hours, leading to the death of yet to be specified number of people, is considered a lie of the decade.”
IMN Spokesman Ibrahim Musa, also said there was “no reason” for opening fire and the group was made up of “defenceless people out to perform a religious ceremony”.
The army said it had put the arrested leader and his wife in a “protective custody in a very secured facility”.
In January 2016, the Kaduna State Government formed the Commission for Judicial Inquiry into the causes of clashes in Zaria between the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and the Nigerian Army in December 2015, under the chairmanship of Justice Mohammed Garba, the presiding Justice of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal.
In August of the same year, the Commission found the army gunned down 348 Shiites and urged the prosecution of all those involved in the killings.
The same Month, the group staged a peaceful protest for the release of their leader who had neither been released nor prosecuted by the Government.
Members of the sect who were dressed in their usual black attires were carrying placards and chanting “free El-Zakzaky” as well as justice for many of their members allegedly killed by the army during the Zaria clash.
November Clash
The movement clashed with the Police in Kano which resulted in the lost of 20 members of the group and 1 Police Officer.
In a statement by Ibrahim Musa, President, IMN Media Forum, the Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky-led group accused the Police of firing tear gas and live ammunition at members, who were observing the annual Arbaeen (a symbolic trek from Kano to Zaria in Kaduna State).
“The Nigeria Police blocked the road and fired tear gas at the peaceful trekkers. With the aid of Allah, the trekkers have passed through it and continued with the trekking. Men of the Nigeria Police followed the trekkers and kept on firing tear gas and live ammunition at them. They killed one and injured others.”
But the Police Commissioner of the State, Rabiu Yusuf, said thousands of Shi’ite members obstructed motorists and denied other road users free access to Kano-Kaduna expressway.
“They also attacked innocent citizens, damaged public and personal property, thereby causing mayhem that could lead to general disturbance of public peace in the State.”
The Commissioner also disclosed that they snatched an AK-47 rifle from a Policeman and used it on the security agents.
Reacting to the event, Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris said the Police battled with armed men, who blocked the highway, refusing to allow other Nigerians access to the road.
According to him, the security operatives had no alternative than to restore law and order which was violated by the group.
Though he agreed that there were other non-lethal ways of stopping riots, the IGP said the presence of guns wielded by members of the sect made it impossible.
“I agree with what you said, but when you have Nigerians armed to the teeth, killing police officers, I don’t think it happens anywhere. I think as Nigerians, we have to appreciate a dangerous situation and be sympathetic with the Police that are being killed by some of these miscreants.
“Obviously from time to time, we have been experiencing upheavals from this set of people. As Police officers, we have a responsibility to ensure there is law and order and when you have people taking over the whole country, dominating streets and buildings, we have to come in to maintain sanity in those areas.”
Before the end of the year, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Special Investigation Panel (SIP), released its investigation on what happened between the Army and IMN, and indicted the movement for impeding the COAS ‘right to movement.’
The panel Chairman, Mr Anthony Ojukwu, who presented the report to the NHRC Executive Secretary, Prof. Bem Angwe, said the blocking of public highway by IMN infringed on the freedom of movement of the Chief of Army Staff.
The committee recommended that members of the IMN arrested for various violations and offences should be speedily and fairly tried by the Kaduna State High Court.
Court Order
An Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, had on December 2, ordered the release of Zakzaky and his wife within 45 days, with a fine of N50 million to be paid to them by the State Security Services (SSS).
El-Zakzaky had approached the court to demand his release, months after he was arrested without being charged to Court. He asked the Court to declare that his arrest and continued detention violated his fundamental rights.
Delivering the judgement, Kolawole said the decision to hold the Islamic cleric and his wife for their safety was illegal.
“I have not been shown any incident report or any complaint lodged by residents around the neighbourhood that the applicant has become a nuisance to his neighbourhood.”
February 2017
In February, 2017, members of the IMN in Kaduna demanded the release of their leader after the court ruling ordered his release.
Dressed in their usual black regalia, hundreds of members of the movement trooped out to protest along Kano road in the heart of Kaduna after realising that the police had taken over their usual meeting point at the Leventis Roundabout, along the busy Ahmadu Bello Way in Kaduna.
They were however dispersed by the police just before they could start the procession.
One of the leaders of the movement, Sheikh Qasim Umar, who addressed the protesters before they were dispersed by the police, urged the Federal Government to obey the Court Order.
“The most intriguing aspect of the oppression visited upon us is the continued detention of our leader, Sheikh Zakzaky, and his wife, even after a Federal High Court order to release them.
“Where in the world is a democratic government contemptuous of its courts if not the present administration in Nigeria?”
April 2017
Federal Government arraigned Haruna Abbas, Chief Security Officer to leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, and two others before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The defendants were arraigned on an amended eight-count criminal charge for allegedly supporting terrorism between 2009 and 2013 by sending people for terrorist training in Iran, which contravened the provisions of Section 4 of the Terrorist Prevention Act 2013.
At the commencement of hearing, the prosecuting counsel, Chike Nnenna, informed the Court that the matter was starting afresh as the charge was dated November 5, 2014.
The defendants pleaded not guilty and were ordered to remain in custody pending adjournment.
The same month, some protesters gathered at the Unity Fountain, Abuja to demand for the release of Zakzaky but were dispersed by the Police, who reportedly used teargas on them.
They also stormed the National Assembly wielding various placards, but were prevented by the Police from gaining entrance.
FG’s reason for the delay in releasing El-Zakzaky
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said the IMN leader has not been released due to the inability of the Federal Government to build a house for him.
According to the Minister, the court ruled that El-Zakzaky be released after his house has been rebuilt.
He explained that nobody in the country wants to accept him as a neighbour, adding that the federal government decided to keep him in a safe place in Abuja.
“Two, in the case of El-Zakzaky; how many Nigerians know that El-Zakzaky is not in prison custody, police custody or DSS custody? El-Zakzaky is in a house with his family. This is the honest truth.
“He is in what is called protective custody. The court ruled that he be released after his house has been rebuilt but nobody wants to accept El-Zakzaky as a neighbour. So, we have been unable to build the house. So, where do we release him to?”
Reacting to the Minister’s claim, IMN wondered why the Government still insists on “protective custody” when the federal high court in Abuja had rejected that notion categorically and set the leader free.
“The judiciary was emphatically against the argument by the government of “protective custody” alibi, insisting that it has no place in the constitution or any laws known to man.
“He is being denied access to even medical care of his choice and the last time he saw his lawyers was over a year ago. Secondly, what the world knows is that he is in the custody of DSS, and that is the fact.
“To say anything that would suggest that he isn’t in the custody of DSS is extremely dishonest. The assertion by the Minister even went to the extreme of implying that the Sheikh is in a house built for him by the Federal government as ordered by the Court.”
November 2017
Members of the movement claimed that the police killed two of their colleagues during their Arbaeen annual trek in Kano.
The IMN members had started the trek from Kofar Mazugal in the Kano metropolis around 10am and later stopped for the afternoon prayers at Kofar, Nasarawa at the popular Lado overhead bridge, where they were reportedly intercepted by Policemen.
The President, Media Forum of IMN, Ibrahim Musa, later issued a statement where the group claimed that two Shi’ites members were killed by the Police.
“It was when the police were dispersing our members that mobile policemen arrived the scene and started firing teargas and eventually live bullets. A Muslim brother and sister were confirmed shot and killed by the police and their remains were taken away by their attackers. Many people were reportedly injured.”
Musa lamented that the clash was uncalled for, as according to him the procession was peaceful but armed policemen were drafted to stop the annual Arba’een trek.
When contacted, the Kano State Police Command spokesman, DSP Magaji Musa Majia, said the police had earlier held a meeting with the IMN members and advised them not to engage in the procession due to prevailing security situation in the country.
He added that in an attempt to disperse them, the Shi’ites members confronted the security operatives, hence, the need to teargas them.
Later the same Month, members of the group were in Abuja to call for the release of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who was arrested by the government two years ago, and to do their annual traditional Arbabeen Trek.
The Police also disrupted the rally, with the group later complaining of prosecution of its members during the peaceful rally by the security operatives.
“Our members where physically attacked by the police with tear gas. Many sustained injuries and are right now in the hospital.
“Police in Nigeria have tear-gassed crowds in the Federal Capital Territory to break up a religious procession in the city marking 40 days from the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Husayn in 680AD.”
January 2018
The movement repeatedly stormed the National Assembly at the start of the year to demand the release of it leaders, but were again, denied entry.
Police reinforcement later fired tear gas at the crowd of protesters to disperse them before they were chased away.
While a protest was going in Abuja, another one was being staged in Kaduna, with Police confirming that two persons were injured.
According to the Spokesman of the State Police Command, SP Mukhtar Aliyu, Policemen were at the Leventis roundabout to disperse protesters after receiving reports that the group were about to embark on a protest march when the clash occurred.
“In the course of doing that, there was an altercation between the protesters and the police leading to two civilians and one policeman getting injured.
“However the situation had been brought under control, following some arrest.”
On the contrary, however, IMN’s Spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, said one person was killed while several others were injured.
“The police shot sporadically to disperse the protesters thus forcing motorists and other road users as well as residents to scamper into safety. The processions were held in major towns of the North to protest El-Zakzaky’s continued detention in view of his deteriorating health condition.”
The movement vowed to continue the demand for the release of their leader despite the clampdown by security operatives during some of their processions.
Zakzaky’s Public appearance
After it was rumoured that the group’s leader had died in custody, he made his first public appearance after two years and spoke briefly with journalists.
In a brief video, El-Zakzaky is seen walking unsteadily out of a building to speak to journalists.
While confirming that he is alive and well, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky expressed appreciation to all Nigerians who have been praying for his safety.
“It was severe· on me on Monday but subsequently it started subsiding and for the first time; at least the security allowed me to see· my own doctors. So it was my own doctors who examined me.
“Before, I used to be· examined by DSS doctors alone but this time, I did not agree and my own doctors came to examine· me.”
It was later revealed that the government promised him he will be released if he spoke to reduce tension, only to return him to detention as soon as the media left.
April Clash
The latest of the movement’s protest came on April 16, in Abuja, during which 115 members of the group have been arrested. A video of the face-off emerged on social media, showing police dispersing protesters with teargas and water cannons.
According to Abuja Police Spokesman Anjuguri Manzah, the members “went on the rampage”, attacking innocent citizens, disrupting business activities, obstructing traffic and destroying government and Police vehicles.
