Civil Defence uncovers new factional sect group in Borno

The Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a new factional sect of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shi’ite, in Borno.

The state Commandant of the corps, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Maiduguri.

Abdullahi explained that the group, which emerged in Kwaya Kusar Local Government Area of the state, was different from the El-Zakzaky IMN ideology.

He said that men of the command discovered the strange group through intelligence gathering and surveillance.

“As part of our statutory responsibility in monitoring the activities of religious bodies in the country, we have discovered this strange group.

“When we invited the leader of the group (name withheld), he claimed to be nonviolent and that they are against the teachings of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the IMN leader.

“But we must detest and distance ourselves to all acts of violence and illegal groups in all its manifestations under whatever guise.

“We agree that it is their fundamental right to practice their own religion, but we are still not unmindful about factors that gave rise to the calamitous catastrophe which engulfed us in the recent past,’’ he said.

However, the commandant urged that: “Let us collectively bring the calamity brought to us by some misguided miscreants to logical end by embracing lasting peace in our country.

“Indeed it is gratifying that we can go to bed without any fear and go about our normal businesses.

“The NSCDC and other security agencies would work toward ensuring appropriate measures that would foster lasting peace through effective enforcement of law and order.”