A deadly clash between the Nigerian
Army and members of the Shiite sect in
Zaria, Kaduna state last Saturday has left
one of Nigeria’s foremost Muslim clerics,
Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, the leader of
the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, in the
custody of the Nigerian military. His
arrest has sparked domestic protests and
international condemnation from
majority Shia countries like Iran. But
more than anything, Zakzaky’s detention
has revealed a number of
important points about religion in
Nigeria.
1) Islam in Nigeria is not monolithic
Just like Christianity has the Pentecostal,
Catholic, Anglican, and other
denominations, Islam consists of several
denominations as well. Surely, Muslims
are aware of this fact, but this cannot be
said of other Nigerians who assume that
Islam has one identity. It doesn’t. Islam
is made up of the Sunni, Sufi, Shia,
Khawarij, and other denominations,
with Sunni and Shia as the two major
denominations.
According to Huda, an expert of Islam,
“both Sunni and Shia Muslims share the
most fundamental Islamic beliefs and
articles of faith .” Making up about 75 to
90 percent of all Muslims, the Sunni’s are
the largest denomination in Islam. They
go by the name Ahl as-Sunnah, meaning
“people of the tradition of Muhammad.”
The Shiites – Shiatu Ali, which means the
party or followers of Ali, is the second
largest branch of Islam. They account for
10 to 20 percent of all Muslims.
Nigeria is predominantly a Sunni-
majority country, and the arrest of
Zakzaky has sparked protests across
Nigeria by Shiite Muslims, who are a
significant minority in the country.
2)NIGERIA HAS MORE ISSUE TO WORRY ABOUT THAN BOKO HARAM
For about six years, Nigeria has
struggled to defeat the terrorist group
Boko Haram, which coincidentally
started just like the Shiite movement –
seemingly harmless, and unassuming,
until their uprising in 2009 which led to
full blown attacks after their founder,
Mohammed Yusuf, was killed.
If there’s anything Nigeria cannot afford
to entertain now, or ever, it’s another
terrorist group. Yet, here is a movement
that has been growing unchecked by the
ruling powers. The country needs to
address the root causes for growing
sectionalism and religious fanaticism
like, youth unemployment, a lack of
communication between religious clerics
and the government, and declining
economic fortunes before
discontent escalates and leads to a
repetition of history.
3) THE SHITTES HAVE VERY STRONG TIES WITH IRAN The Shiites may be a minority in Nigeria,
but they are certainly not powerless.
Since the detention of Sheikh Zakzaky,
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has
reportedly called on President
Muhammadu Buhari to set up an
investigation into the recent violence.
Unlike Nigeria, Iran is a Shiite-majority
country, and is known for defending
Shiite causes all around the world. Apart
from calling on President Buhari to
intervene in the issue, Iran has also
summoned the head of the Nigerian
diplomatic mission in Tehran to protest
against the clashes and ask that Shiite
Muslims be protected. This shows that
the Nigerian Shiite movement has a
powerful ally in any future dispute

4:Nigeria has an increasing number of
demagogues
The harsh economic conditions, and
what is perceived as a lack of
government involvement in the lives of
average Nigerians has led to an increase
of rabble-rousers and charismatic
political leaders who are garnering quite
growing numbers of devoted followers.
The local and international reaction
to Zakzaky’s arrest indicates just how
powerful self proclaimed leaders can be
in a failing economy and a system of
government that seemingly caters only to
the needs of the elite. From Abubakar
Shekau of Boko Haram, to Nnamdi Kanu
of Biafra to Asari Dokubo, head of the
Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, and
now Ibrahim Zakzaky, Nigeria’s self
proclaimed leaders are growing in
influence.