Shiites protest in Kaduna over El-Zakzaky’s 5 years in captivity
Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, popularly known as Shiites, on Monday marked the five year anniversary of their leader’s captivity with a protest in Kaduna State.
Recall that the IMN leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife Malama Zeenatuddin Ibrahim, had been in captivity since 2015, following a bloody clash between members of the sect and the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State.
During the protest on Monday, the Shiite members, including children between the ages of 10 and above, marched through Kano road in the Kaduna metropolis.
They displayed posters of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and chanted continuously, “free our leader;” “free Zakzaky,” “we want justice:” “He needs to go for medical treatment.”
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According to a report by The Nation, the leader of the protesters, Sheikh Aliyu Tirmizi, called on the Federal Government to unconditionally release the leader of the sect for proper medical attention.
He said: “In the aftermath of Zaria genocide executed by the Nigerian military in December 2015 we have been calling on all citizens to uphold the dictum that injustice to one is injustice to all, but to no avail.
“Most people, after the gross flagrant abuse of power by the military on Sheikh Zakzaky and his followers couldn’t express their condemnation, choosing to remain silent since the military excesses didn’t affect them directly.
“But in truth, Islam abhors injustice, and enjoins Muslims to express disdain to injustice and the unjust whoever they are.
“Indeed history is full of instances when Prophet Muhammad (SAW) assisted the victims of injustice in upholding their rights.
“This explains why for the past five years we have been explaining how this Buhari regime has trampled upon the rights of Sheikh Zakzaky and his followers, demanding that citizens condemn this repression, and call for the release of our leader unconditionally.”
