Following last week’s Friday’s ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja, designating the Shiites group, otherwise the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) as a terrorist group and proscribing it, indications emerged weekend that the proscription order gazette will be published today (Monday, July 29, 2019) by the Federal Government.
Business Hilights recalls that Justice Nkeonye Maha, had ordered the government to publish the order in two national newspapers in not later than one week and Ministry sources confided in our correspondent that every arrangement had been concluded for the gazette order on Monday.
Relying on a copy of the ex parte application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/876/2019, filed in the name of the ‘Attorney General of the Federation,’ Justice Maha ruled that the activities of the Shiites sect in any part of Nigeria “as acts of terrorism and illegality.”
Recall that the move by the Federal Government to go for the ex parte order on Friday, followed fatal displays by the group earlier last week during their protest for the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, who had been in protective custody since 2015.
The violent protests on the streets of Abuja turned bloody and claimed the lives of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Federal Capital Territory Command, Usman Umar; a Channels Television journalist, Precious Owolabi; and scores of Shiites.
However, the more concerned angle to the entire development is Saturday’s statement by the Federal Government that with the court order proscribing the IMN, the military was now free to take every step necessary to stop the violence being unleashed by the group on defenceless Nigerians.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said “By this order, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are justified to take whatever steps are necessary to stop the growing violence.
“However, the larger body of the followers of the Shiite faith who remain law-abiding in their activities have nothing to fear. They are free to carry out their lawful religious activity.”
However, Shehu noted that only the IMN, and not all Shiite groups, was proscribed based on the court order.
Whereas a number of human rights legal luminaries have condemned the proscription order including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, and Chief Mike Ozekhome; elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo; a former Minister of Aviation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode; saying it infringes on IMN’s fundamental human rights, the spokesperson for the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga, said, “The government is taking it too far and it is another Boko Haram in the offing. I see a danger that may be more difficult for the government to handle.
“No good general opens more than one battlefield at a time. The government is opening one battlefield at a time and it is becoming more difficult and Nigerians are worried.
Continuing, Ohaneze image-maker said “I don’t pray for violence, but we can see that it has become inevitable because these people (Shiites) are saying that they are ready to sacrifice as many members as possible in other to achieve their aim.”
ORIGIN OF SHIITE-SUNNIS DIVERGENCE
After the death of Prophet Muhammad,( Peace be upon him) Muslims who accepted Abu Bakr (Prophet’s father in-law and wealthy companion) as the first Caliph became known as -the people of tradition and unification- in order to differentiate them from the Shi’a, who rejected Abu Bakr’s authority in favor of Ali, (prophet son in-law) whom Sunnis accepted as the fourth Caliph rather than the first.
The first four caliphs are known among Sunnis as the Rashidun or -Rightly-Guided Ones-Sunni recognition includes the aforementioned Abu Bakr as the first, Umar as the second, Uthman as the third, and Ali as the fourth. The Shia represents the second largest denomination of Islam.
Shi’a is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī followers”, “faction“ holy prophet’s son-in-law and cousin Ali, whom the Shia believe to be Muhammad’s successor in the Caliphate”.
Another look at how, when El-Zakzaky, wife were arrested
History has that On Dec 12, 2015 the Shittes were observing their annual Spiritual event (like Redemption Camp/Shillo etc.)
The Chief Of Army Staff was passing by their Centre and demanded that their roadblock be opened. They insisted that he should divert to another route. The Army Chief shot his way through with his men. Later in the night the military returned and killed estimated 350 members of the sect.
The army killed three of El-zakzaky sons, and one of his wives. He was injured.His house and Mosque and Centre were burnt. He was arrested. His lawyer, Falana went to court, obtained bail from the court but the federal government refused to obey the court order. The court ordered that he should be compensated and a house be built for him which the federal government still disobeyed.
He was held and was not prosecuted. By 2018 the followers started peaceful protest for his release; many of their members were further killed. When the pressure was getting too much Kaduna State government took him to court and charged him for conspiracy to murder a sergeant three years after arrest. The followers continued their protest and we all said nothing to advise govt. It has become violent in the last two weeks. Their main demand is for his release.
Falana said he is sick and going blind.
Majority of experts who barred their minds on the direction followed by the federal Government in resolving the matter argued that religious insurgency is the most difficult to crush.
Many stressed that Nigeria is not anywhere near the end of Boko Haram, the bandits are busy killing and kidnapping, the herdsmen issue is still burning, then we want to compound it with Shiites crisis. They are far more organised and may be supported by other Shiite countries.
