Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, on Friday protested the continued incarceration of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim el-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, in Kaduna.
The Shi’ites, made of adults and children aged 10 years and above, marched from Kano road Juma’at Mosque through Ahmadu Bello Way all the way to Leventis roundabout within the Kaduna metropolis.
As they marched on, they displayed posters of Sheikh Ibrahim el-Zakzaky with various inscriptions such as “free our leader;” “free El-Zakzaky,” “we want justice:” “He needs to go for medical treatment,” etc.
Leader of the protesters, Sheikh Aliyu Tirmizi, urged the federal government to unconditionally release their leader to enable him to access proper medical attention abroad.
According to the spokesman, “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.”
