Shiites protest continued detention of El-Zakzaky, wife

Hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Shiites, trooped out at the weekend, in Kaduna to protest continued detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, his wife, Malam Zeenatuddin Ibrahim and the security challenges facing the nation.

The protesting Shiites included children, men and women, who marched from Kano Road Juma’at Mosque through Ahmadu Bello Way, and ended at Broadcasting Road in Kaduna.

They also displayed placards and portrait of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, while chanting anti-government songs.  The placards carried such inscriptions as: “Free our leader,” “Please free El-Zakzaky,”  “We want justice” and “He needs to go for medical treatment,” among others.

Leader of the protesters, Sheikh Aliyu Tirmizi, called on Federal Government to unconditionally release leader of the sect for proper medical attention.

He said: “In the aftermath of the 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 for injustice and the unjust whoever they are. Indeed, history is full of instances, when Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) assisted victims of injustice in upholding their rights…”  (The Guardian)