₦airaland Forum

Political party?

The state's relationship with the movement may also determine how peaceful it remains, according to prominent human rights activist Shehu Sani.

He campaigned for Sheikh Zakzaky's release while the cleric was a political prisoner and says the government has to take its share of the blame for the recent violence by Boko Haram, which says it is trying to avenge the 2009 death in police custody of its leader, Mohammed Yusuf.

"If the Nigerian state applied the same measure of cruelty and extrajudicial killings to the members of the Islamic movement as it did to Boko Haram, we would be faced with a violence that's a million times more than that because the Islamic movement's well organised and educated," according to Mr Sani.

The Nigerian government says it is prepared to talk to Boko Haram though it describes it as a faceless organisation with unrealistic demands.

In Sheikh Zakzaky's home town of Kaduna, Boko Haram has directed attacks at both the security forces and locals.

When I met Kaduna's Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, to discuss the current security crisis, he told me he wanted to make use of all religious leaders to find a solution urgently.

I asked the governor if he had reached out to Sheikh Zakzaky.

"We are trying to reach out to everybody and I am sure, sooner than later, I will get across to him," he said, underlining a conciliatory approach that has so far not borne results.

In contrast, it looks unlikely that Sheikh Zakzaky would be prepared to engage with the governor.

During our interview, he did say he would consider entering the political process and could, for example, have his own political party, if the system worked.

But he said the current system did not work.

He rather surprisingly blamed that system for causing the current insecurity in the country by insisting Boko Haram was a creation of the "oil-hungry West", whom he accused of using the Nigerian security forces to carry out heinous crimes here.

"Security forces are behind it," he said animatedly.

"There's nothing like Boko Haram. I have never seen a single man calling himself Boko Haram. Our enemies are from outside. And they are the ones behind those bombings."

That theory goes against much of the evidence about the group that does exist, as the government has arrested senior members of the militant outfit and police stations and army barracks are often the targets of attacks.

[b]But followers here, including Sheikh Zakzaky, are closely watching present-day events in Iran.

The US and Israel threaten to attack the country if fears of a nuclear weapons building programme there are realised, despite Iran's insistence its nuclear ambitions are purely civilian.

I asked the sheikh [size=14pt]if Iran were attacked, would it have an impact in Nigeria?

"Not only in Nigeria, in the entire world," he said.

Sheikh Zakzaky did not explain what would happen, but added: "How much the impact would be, would depend on which areas were attacked."[/size]

Influential supporters

Throughout our encounter, the vagueness of some of Sheikh Zakzaky's answers - perhaps driven by his apparent mistrust of the media, he separately recorded our conversation in order not to be misquoted - not only leaves many of his statements open to interpretation but also creates the perception he may have something to hide.

Sheikh Zakzaky was a political prisoner for nine years during the 1980s and 1990s, accused by successive military regimes of civil disobedience.

His supporters have been involved in many violent clashes with the state over the decades - 120 of his followers are currently in prison - and political analyst Muhammad Kabir Isa says they do constitute a genuine threat.

Mr Isa, a senior researcher at Ahmadu Bello University, describes the sheikh's movement as "a state within a state".

"I know for one that his outfit embarks on drills, military drills," Mr Isa said.

"But when you embark on military drills, you are drilling with some sort of anticipation. Some form of expectations."

Sheikh Zakzaky later told me his movement did train hundreds of guards to police events, but compared it to teaching karate to the boy scouts.

Mr Isa also alleged the movement's supporters have now become a lot more influential in society.

"I know for example he is making sure his members are recruited into the army, his members are recruited in the police force, he has people working for him in the state security service," he said.[/b]

While the Sunni Islamist group Boko Haram makes headlines in Nigeria, a Shia group is also causing anxiety in some quarters, the BBC's Mark Lobel reports from the city of Kaduna.

Saharan sand swirls around us as horses gallop through the film set we are visiting.

Brightly painted walls and wooden and straw weaponry line old forts, recreated to mirror the scene of the brazen Islamic revolution that arrived here in the 19th Century.

I am seeing for myself how media-savvy the mainly-Shia Islamic Movement in Nigeria has become.

Inside the compound, a dubbing operation is under way.

Flattering documentaries of religious leaders are being translated into the local Hausa language, with hundreds of DVDs sold to eager locals every month.

The movement has had a thriving daily newspaper for more than two decades and says it will soon broadcast its internet-based Hausa radio station on the country's main air waves, and start up a new TV channel.

In recent years, the once tiny movement's membership has sky-rocketed in size and scope while all attention has shifted to Boko Haram, the Sunni Islamist group fighting for an Islamic state in Nigeria.

Iranian inspiration

Some are worried that this movement may be growing unchecked by the current ruling powers it condemns as discredited.

Its leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, became a proponent of Shia Islam around the time of the Iranian revolution in 1979.

Events in Iran encouraged him to believe that an Islamic revival was also possible in Nigeria.

Ever since, he has grown increasingly confident he can build a permanent Islamic state within the country.

Although he denies his movement gets any funding from Iran, he is also vehemently anti-American.

When I met the white-bearded, traditionally dressed religious leader, who looked older than his 57 years, he resembled a peaceful, friendly, elder statesman and smiled as he told me that he now has hundreds of thousands of followers.

We sat together on his bright, fluffy pink, red and white rug and an orange-flowered garland framed a hanging portrait of the revolutionary Islamic leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, who watched over us.

Simply disguised as shiia

.

More to come

netuser: The problem is, who allowed the weapons into the country?

Alhajis in customs and also immigration service

What a political quagmire for Nigeria

President lacks wisdom and courage

opposition motivated by hatred yet lacking viable alternatives.

We need a revolution.

the blind leading the multitude, and vehemently opposed by the deaf

Dull as in what? Come to plateau and see jangs 6years of transformation and rapid development. Go and ask what he did as military governor in benue too. Dont seat in bedrooms and post biased opinions.

Op what kind of misleading post is this?
Do security officers or emergency workers violate curfew restrictions?
Is that really frog jump or squatting? Why jump into conclusion ?
With the poor picture resolution of the camera , if it was frog jump, the cops body will show blur trails.

As long as the SOE remains, the fed govt should not benefit financially from it, defence budget should not be a blank cheque in any guise. The house of reps did well, I believe the Senate will follow suite.

derespect: Thank you bro, am very grateful...

can you check if your hotspot is sharing effectively to other devices?
thanks

Madness! Pure madness

He meant [size=18pt]"juicy appointment"[/size]
not regular jobs, those girls are worth billions in real estate. Read between the lines.

If FRCN Isnt a venture then wat is it?an NGO?

Stop ranting and consult your textbooks!

classic music: u just said it all 'it was an advert'advertz ar paid for.i gues d school paid dats y d advert was aird.u can advertise ur garri soakin skul in newyork if u meet their ad rates even on wall street.its business

^^^ Hmmmm, Kids on NL
Hope you didn't write jamb with this type of 2go-text?


So in your reasoning FRCN was established for business?

“No commercial activities again in Maiduguri, no academic activities in the area, people have fled Maiduguri; there is nothing going on in the town. No school, no banking, no communication network. The town is grounded",”
[size=18pt]We shall make the country north ungovernable for president if power does no go to the north.[/size]

Hmmm, mark is steering a troubled water. The almajiri population is a weapon of mass intimidation in the hands of the born to rule's. To banned it, means mass education in the north! And that's a no-go-area.

The ambassador knows more than he is revealing, is it potential attack from bokoharam? or angry Nigeria residents in Ghana?. If he knows the embassy isn't protecting Nigerians interest enough, they should seat up and remember the Senegal incident in Dakar.
What's his business with securing the building? Is it by going to the press? Or he is now doing the job on behalf of the security attaches/NIA?
Noise makers.

[quote author=tpia@]in nigeria, anything goes.

maybe the school is owned by a nigerian.[/quote]My thoughts exactly ^^
But why on radio Nigeria network, that is supposed to be a national orientation vehicle? Are the directors now blind to the fact that Nigeria losses billions annually to foreign tuition fees? If it were a private media, it's okay. But this is ministry of information

very good investment strategy and biz plan/proposal. but is this all to it? OP more info on the directors and trading trategy? any links?

[size=15pt]when a dog viciously wants to bite its own tail, a wise man should keep good distance[/size].

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JQh8TLmQVE4

like this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JQh8TLmQVE4

Imagine the insult... several civil servants are even amoung his friends. Dammit it. Fake or not, there's lots of intell on this FB profile. I dey vexxxxx o

Diasporan: @OP haven't you heard of cost and factors of production?It varies from country to country so please go consult your Economics textbook by PN Okeke

YOU TRY, BUT YOU ARE FAR FROM THE TRUTH

nice4life: guys please checkout my brother promo single
http://picosong.com/F67N/

GREAT TRACK! THE TRACK IS TIGHT!

Bryancrox: Funny Name

Sounds Japanese

A Woman of great achievement, more grease to her elbow. Hope her story will inspire much more women in the armed forces.

Until the political and religious elite of the north are purged of their present mindset about power, politics and wealth accumulation, the poverty culture and insecurity of core-north will continue to retard the progress of Nigeria

I completly agree with the poster on the above , Nigeria must advance