Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, has reacted to
reports that it plans to wreak havoc nationwide.
A statement signed by Ibrahim Musa, President, Media
Forum of the Islamic Movement, said the stories alleged that Shiites under the
leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqoub Zakzaky were planning a revenge mission
for the killings done to them by the army in Zaria.
“The story was predicated on an extracted part of a
speech by a member of the Islamic Movement in Kano, which was taken out of
context,” it said.
“We hereby categorically deny that there is any plan
to ‘hit back at the army and other symbols of authority’ as claimed by the
report. This is only a ploy to start series of false flag operations whereby
attacks will be staged somewhere and these will be attributed to the Islamic
Movement as a ‘revenge attacks’.
“It will be recalled that security operatives have
for long had a history of planning such attacks, especially when all efforts to
justify their atrocities fail woefully. Similar plots were exposed soon after
the daylight cold-blooded murder of 34 members of IMN in 2014.
“It must be made clear however that any such
attacks, now or in the future, is not by the Movement or its members as we wish
to reiterate that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria has never ever even
contemplated taking up arms or use of violence as a means to achieving our
aims.
“We remain committed to our non-violent ways of
extending our message of fairness and justice to all irrespective of sect or
religion.
“There has never been a single occasion when the
Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the leadership of his Eminence Sheikh
Ibraheem Zakzaky ever threaten the peace and stability of Nigeria or engaged in
any form of violence throughout its 38 years of existence.
“We have always been the victims of those who are
opposed to justice because of our insistence that due process of law should be
followed by those in authority.
“For the benefit of doubts, we restate that we will
never be distracted by anyone and no amount of provocation or incitement would
make the IMN ever engage in any form of violent activity.
“Our leader Sheikh Zakzaky has said it many times in
his discourses that the large following the Movement enjoys among the Nigerian
people is not due to the use of arms by the Islamic Movement, but rather by its
adherence to truth and justice for all irrespective of religion, tribe and
region.
“It seems those that wrote the story assume that the
Islamic Movement in Nigeria operates like some terrorist groups created by the
enemies of Islam, who release video clips in dissemination of its message. Such
lousy ways are not our modus operandi and we are not anonymous. We have been
living as peaceful Muslims for almost four decades and so it is myopic for
anybody to attribute violence to us.
“The Islamic Movement is still focused on its demand
for the unconditional release of Sheikh Zakzaky and all those in detention
sequel to the genocidal attack perpetrated by the army against the Islamic
Movement in Zaria,” the statement concluded.
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