Group blasts El-Rufai over El-Zakzaky’s arraignment

The Martyrs Group of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Shuhadu Foundation) has criticised the Kaduna State Government under the leadership of Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai over its decision to file criminal charges against the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

In a statement signed by the head of the group Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello, and made available to the Newsmen in Zaria, Kaduna state, the group stated that On Wednesday, 02/05/18 there was a forcible attempt to serve court summon on the Leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, who is in custody of the DSS illegally for the past almost two and half years in Abuja.

The group explained that Sheikh Zakzaky declined accepting any court summons, insisting that when he went to court earlier and obtained judgement, the government has not obeyed the judgement. He described as illogical attempts at charging him to court even as the court had ordered for his unconditional release over a year ago, without the government complying with that judgment.

The statement stated that Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky narrated before the person who brought him the summons that, “We were brutally attacked. They opened fire on us, shot us with guns, killing over a thousand including my sons. I was also shot with my wife. I was dragged over the corpses of my sons. We were then brought here and detained. Our bodies were sore all over, riddled with bullets.” How can any sane person turn around and accuse our leader as the aggressor in this case?

The group demanded that the Kaduna State government, led by Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai should charge those who summarily killed more than 347 people as admitted by the government for murder and not the victims of the murderous campaigns.

The group stated that Kaduna State Government and Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai does not have a moral or constitutional right to arraign Sheikh Zakzaky and others for homicide trial when it is not ready to prosecute and bring to justice, also, soldiers who summarily, willfully and atrociously killed hundreds of Nigerians at their pleasure.

According to the statement It seems the Kaduna state government and Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai has now elevated to an instrument of state policy, the bare-faced social injustice of turning victims of a vicious, brutal murderous aggression into its perpetrators, and treating the aggressors as victims and using the resources of the State and taxpayers money to pursue these reprobate discriminatory and recriminatory prosecutions.

“It is indeed sad that a supposedly democratic government now cherry picks the lives, the rights and the people it is supposed to defend, and those that are, in its opinion expendable,” the statement added.

It explained: “The Islamic Movement takes this odious attempt by the KDSG to arraign our leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky on the same charge about 200 are being charged in another court, coming after two and half years with a pinch of salt. As usual, the government has misfired again.”

According to the group, the step taken by KDSG and Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai is prejudiced, parochial and unconstitutional. This court case makes a mockery of justice and democracy.

Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello said with the recent public confession by the Saudi crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman, that they are behind the Zaria genocide of December 2015, it remains to be seen when the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will have enough courage to admit how much the billionaire prince gave it to execute the Wahhabi murderous plan on innocent Nigerians.

“We once again wish to reiterate our commitment to continue with our protest in major cities of the country, especially Abuja. If the government feels offended by our protests, then it should do the needful release the oppressed Sheikh Zakzaky immediately and unconditionally to go and look after his health at least. Also, the hundreds still in detention over the Zaria massacre carried out by the army, should also be released, because they are victims of aggression, not the aggressors that the government want to deceive the public to believe,” the statement added.