By Mohammad Ibrahim
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Months after the killing of hundreds of members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria also known as Shiites, Academic Forum of the movement has protested against the continued detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky by Nigerian authorities. The group also demanded for release of bodies of their members killed by Army in December.
The Shiites and Army clashed in Zaria town in December where hundreds of shiite members were killed and many sent to prisons.
Their leader who sustained gunshots and his wife have been in detention for more than 100 days without trial.
Since his arrested, alongside hundreds of his followers, members of the movement kept protesting his continued detention.
According to members of the Shiite, they will not rest on their oars until their leader Sheikh Zakzaky, his wife Zeenatu and other members are freed.
President of the Academic Forum of the movement , Abdullahi Ibrahim, at the protest in Kaduna northwest nigeria said, they were echoing their demand “for the release of their leader, Sheik Zakzaky, his wife Zeenatu, and all other members of the movement who are now languishing in different prisons and Army Barracks across the country.”
Majority of members of academic forum were women and youth ladies who raised posters of their detained leader and his followers.
“Bring back the corpses of our Martyrs, who are mass graved by the cruel Nigerian Army, for proper Islamic burial.
“Despite the wickedness and atrocities committed to the Movement by the Nigerian army and the Nigerian government, yet, they did not regret what they have done.”
The President queried the crime that the Movement did to deserve this ill-treatment.
“Is Nigeria not a democratic nation and why are members of the Movement denied their constitutional right of association.
“Why the attack on Sheik Zakzaki, why the Movement, why extra judicial killing, why the corpses still denied to their families for proper burial, all these atrocities happening because the Movement Shaikh Zakzaki is leading is the only true front against tyranny and oppressed in Nigeria,” he said.
