Shi’ites describe proscription order as a huge joke

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) says it will not be distracted by the court order, declaring the sect as a terrorist organisation.

A federal high court in Abuja had declared the group a terrorist organisation, following an ex parte application filed by the federal government.

In a statement on Sunday, Ibrahim Musa, president of IMN media forum, described the order as a “joke.”

He said the order will not distract the group from continuing its demand that Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, its leader, who has been in detention since 2015, should be released.

The spokesman said though the group is yet to receive the copy of the order, its lawyers are already studying the development.

“The Islamic Movement has learnt of the fallacious court order for its proscription by a high court in Abuja, that it is a terrorist group,” the statement read.

“We are in consultations with our lawyers, and we would, as a peaceful people who have been victims of Buhari government-sponsored terror attacks throughout his first term and continuing, give an appropriate response.

“We want to assure the general public and the international community that we will not be pushed into taking any rash decision no matter the provocation.

“This order, we believe, was hastily obtained to sweep under the carpet the glaring human rights abuses suffered by the Islamic Movement at the hands of Buhari’s administration since the Zaria genocide of December, 2015. We reject any false flag terror attacks that the authorities would be plotting in our name, and by this assure the general public that we have never contemplated the use of terror tactics in our ways. This is not about to change.

“It is all part of the blinding official stereotypes against the Islamic Movement. We would however not relent in calling for the immediate release of Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife, using all lawful and peaceful means as we have done all this while. We will not be distracted by this huge “joke.”

IMN had earlier told TheCable that the federal government could not stop it from practising its religion.