Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites have, once again, called for the immediate and unconditional release of its leader, Sheikh El Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah.
The group represented by Dr. Dauda Nalado, said at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday that the illegal and continued detention of its leader was because Saudi Arabia was manipulating the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to suppress and disband the movement and the ideals it represents.
He stressed that the group believes that all men were equal despite their religious differences.
Nalado said foreign powers such as Britain, the United States of America and the Zionist of Israel were meddling in Nigeria’s affairs to bring an end to IMN.
He added that the Saudi government had declared in the foreign media that it had successfully prevented El-Zakzaky from promoting IMN’s ideals.
Lawyer representing IMN, Ishaq Adam, said the police and the army had killed no fewer than 520 members of the group since it began peaceful protests in Abuja from January to now while many are injured and arrested.
Meanwhile, Access to Justice (A2J), has urged the Kaduna State government to charge those who killed over 348 people for murder and not the victims of the murderous campaigns.
The group, in a statement by its director, Joseph Otteh, lamented that the state government has charged El Zakzaky and three others for offences ranging from road blockages with dangerous weapons, homicide, unlawful assembly and blocking roads to prevent movement of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai’s convoy.
El-Zakzaky’s co-defendants are Zeenah Ibrahim, Yakubu Katsina and Sanusi Koki.
Their offences stem from the December 2015 protests and clashes between IMN members and Buratai’s convoy, which resulted in the invasion of its headquarters in Zaria.
http://guardian.ng/news/shiites-demand-unconditional-release-of-el-zakzaky-wife/?F
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