Onaiyekan describes proscription of IMN as a ‘blunt mistake’

John Onaiyekan, former Catholic archbishop of Abuja, has described the proscription of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), as a “blunt mistake”.

Speaking at a news conference, Onaiyekan said the action of the federal government implies no religion is exempted from being proscribed as long as the government can get a judge to issue the order.

He said members of the IMN had the right to protest the continued detention of El-Zakzaky, adding that the Catholics will do the same if he were detained unjustly.

“The proscription (of Shiite) portrays us as a country where the government can wake up one day, get a court order from nowhere that particular religious group is proscribed,” he said.

“If we allow that to go, it means Catholics and my own religion too can be prescribed any day by any government who manages to get any judge to issue an ex parte or non-ex parte order.

“I don’t know what will happen if I was detained unjustly and the court orders my release and they refuse to allow me to come out, I don’t know if anybody will be able to stop the Catholics from protesting.”

He, however, said a religious group can be held accountable for breaking the law by prosecuting it instead of banning its activities.