Press Statement
In line with the decision of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN to
seek redress in a formal court to restore the dignity, humanity and
fundamental rights of its leadership and members that have been
trampled upon and abused by the Nigerian government and its Army when
it attacked it in a killing spree on the 12th to 14th of December
2015, dates for the commencement of court hearing have been slated.
The first hearing among a series of others is coming up on the 18th of
May 2016 at the Federal High Court in Kaduna in a case seeking to
enforce the fundamental rights of the revered leader of the Movement,
His Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife Sister Zeenatuddeen
Ibrahim and other members of the Movement that lost their lives and
their properties in the genocide of the 12th to the 14th of December
2015.
A similar case is also coming up on the 23rd of May 2016 at the
Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to enforce the rights of the
leader and his wife to freedom as they have not been informed of the
commission of any offence and have not been given their due process
rights.
IMN is aware that this act of civility it had displayed by seeking
redress through peaceful means despite all efforts and intimidations
by the government and the Army to deter it and instigate the movement
into violence, has not gone down well with the perpetrators. Hence, it
is evident that in trying to stop the movement from going to court,
the government is using the Department of State Service (DSS) to
intimidate the legal team leader of the IMN and respected human rights
lawyer Femi Falana SAN.
The DSS sought to interpret the brief given to the legal team and
insisted that the legal team must appear before the kangaroo Judicial
Commission of Inquiry JCI set up by the Kaduna state government to
indict the IMN and desist from going to court.
The DSS also accused Falana of issuing ultimatum and threats contrary
to their claim that the leader of the IMN Sheikh Zakzaky instructed
him to represent him at the kangaroo Commission. The DSS further
instructed the Legal Team to reconcile the Movement with the
government and go to the Kangaroo Commission in the interest of what
they termed peace and security of the nation as if the Courts are
insecure and violent.
We wish to state categorically here that the decision by the IMN to
seek redress in the court of law and stay away from the Kangaroo
Commission is that of the leader of the Movement, His Eminence Sheikh
Ibraheem Zakzaky and not that of Femi Falana SAN. Hence, the
allegation of acting contrary to the instruction of our leader as
alleged by the DSS is unfounded and mischievous.
The steps taken by the IMN after declaring over 850 names of missing
persons and their profiles after the pogrom has forced the Kaduna
state government to confess before the JCI that it mass buried 347
victims of the genocide against the IMN.
The confession by the state government further clarified reports by
reputable human rights organizations in the world that include Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch, Islamic Human Rights Commission of
London and others that a crime against humanity had been committed by
the Army and its allies.
These numbers included women, children and active youths who were
incessantly killed by the Army in the most inhuman manner, stabbing
women in their breasts with bayonets, burning people alive, shooting
at very close ranges and even mutilating private parts of women with
sharp objects.
As though this was not enough, hundreds of other members of the IMN
have been abducted and kept incommunicado in unknown detention
facilities. This has raised suspicion as to the possibility of other
mass graves that have not been discovered. It would be most inhuman
for anyone to attempt to sweep all these crimes under the carpet in
efforts to set the perpetrators free from facing justice for their
crime.
Finally, we still call for the immediate and unconditional release of
our leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and other members and for justice
to be done and perpetrators of the genocide to be punished
accordingly.
The Movement will follow the laid down rules and procedures in seeking
redress and no amount of intimidation and provocation will deter it
from the path of truth and justice.
Signed:
Ibrahim Musa
President Media Forum of IMN
