Northern clerics fumes, warn against breakdown of law and order

– Some religious leaders under the aegis of Northern Inter-Faith and Religious Organizations for Peace (NIFROP) has called on the Nigerian police the prevent the Shiite members from trekking to Abuja

– The northern religious leaders in a protest at the police headquarters said the Shiite members are practicing terrorism

The acting inspector general of police Ibrahim Idris,

Some northern religious leaders in the northern part of Nigeria has warned against a protest planned by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) popularly known as Shiites.

The religious leaders under the umbrella of the Northern Inter-Faith and Religious Organizations for Peace (NIFROP) on Wednesday, August 10, in their thousands protested at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The clerics with their placards accused the Shiites of practicing terrorism.

Some of the placards carried by these religious leaders read: “Terrorism is not part of our culture, we want the IGP to act now”, “Religious extremism and intolerance must be discouraged”.

The clerics also said the expect the federal government to put an end to the crisis in the region.

Speaking to journalists, the leader of the religious group Musa Fomson, a Bishop, said the planned protest by the IMN – a call for the release of their leader, Ibrahim El Zakzaky – maybe hijacked by hoodlums to cause trouble.

Fomson called on the inspector general of police not to allow the Islamic group to go ahead with the protest.

He said Shiites should allow the law to take its course since the Kaduna state judicial commission of inquiry has submitted its report.

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“The Kaduna State Judicial Commission of Inquiry into this matter has submitted its report, which we think should be bring closer to the matter.

“Any further agitation that anyone has should now be addressed by institutions of the state especially in view of the fact that the Commission has presented its report to Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai,” Fomson said.

He further called on those that have any kind of grievances to approach the court of law and let the law take its course.

“We have however seen that the IMN as a sect is bent on fomenting trouble with the controversial trek its members are undertaking from Kaduna to the FCT.

“The trek was preceded and is being backed with demonstrations in several cities of the northern states. From our point of view this is a dangerous exercise for a group that has never agreed to sign up to mutually respecting the rights of other faiths, sects or denomination.

“We believe their history with other Nigerians wherever their members gather in large number should have dissuaded them from attempting this Abuja stunt.

“This is why we are today staging this march to draw attention to the provocative activities of this Islamic Movement in Nigeria, which has been prohibited across the 19 northern states.

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We are telling Nigerians now that there is imminent security risk in the face of the freedom with which the IMN peddles extremism, terrorism and killings in the north without police intervention.

“We demand that the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris immediately act to forestall whatever mayhem IMN member are planning. We also demand that the Northern Governors’ Forum take steps to arrest the growth of extremism being promoted by this sect,” he said.

On Fomson’s request, the deputy inspector general of police Habila Joshak who received the northern clerics on behalf of the the inspector general of police Ibrahim Idris said the petition will be taken to the police chief.

He further promised a prompt action on their request on behalf of the Idris.

Last week, the IMN members threatened to embark of a protest over the prolonged detention of the leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife Zainab by the Department of State Services.

The El-Zakzakys were arrested on Saturday, December 12, after a clash between the group and the convoy of the chief of army staff in Zaria, Kaduna state.

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