Group condemns calls for release of "terrorist"

Zakzaky was arrested in December of 2015 on the heels of a bloody clash between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN)--which he leads--and soldiers.

The Shiites had barricaded the Sokoto road which empties into Zaria on the day Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Tukur Buratai and the top brass of the Nigerian army were plying the route.

Zakzaky has been in protective custody since that time amid growing calls for his release.

This week, protesters took to the streets of Abuja to demand for his release, but the JPM has been left disgusted by it all.

JPM organised a counter protest of its own this week to drive home its message.

"The danger that these latest calls portend to us as a people, is the likelihood of our nation, experiencing the ugly scenarios that those countries who under the guise of human right and freedom, have been made to carelessly unleash terror perpetrators back into their own society, leaving them to cause greater harm to the innocent citizens", JPM said through a statement read on its behalf by Comrade Kola Salawu.

Salawu said Nigeria is headed down a slippery slope if government caves into the demands from groups to set "terrorists" free.

The statement from JPM read in part:

"Terror suspects all over the world, are not the ordinary crime suspects to be treated with kid gloves. Terrorism is a threat to humanity and anyone involved deserves the maximum punishment that the society prescribes.

"It is therefore worrisome to us that some external influences and local collaborators, are asking Nigeria to adopt this same model that has proven disastrous in relating with terror suspects whom they want Nigerian security to treat as innocent until they kill someone. The outcome would then be to summarily execute these people when the deed has been done.

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"We want to categorically condemn and oppose the call for the release of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky unconditionally, despite the overwhelming case of incitement to violence and terrorism built against him. His organization was found by a Judicial Panel to be heavily militarized. There are videos of his members training for military combat.

"The military recovered arms and ammunition during a raid on his enclave. His members had attacked troops and killed a soldier. They have threatened mayhem on the country. IMN has foreign support to unsettle Nigeria. This is the man that some characters in Nigeria with foreign support are canvassing unconditional release for.

"If El Zakzaky is released without trial as being demanded, we would be compelled to extend the same sick courtesy to would be terrorists in the future. We will be compelled to as a country make on site execution of terrorists the norm with all the attendant risks.

"We condemn in the strongest terms possible the ill advised attempts by the Shiite to denigrate the Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because the incumbent occupant refused to be browbeaten into compromising citizens' safety.

"merely stated the fact when he said El Zakzaky remains in detention because there is an appeal against his court ordered release. It is therefore unacceptable for any group or individuals to vilify the Vice President for simply standing by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"Those calling for the release of El Zakzaky have failed. They may just as well add and other high profile Boko Haram suspects to the list of those they want released. This will help confirm how much they hold Nigerians in disdain to the point where they want terror masterminds strolling around freely to commit more crimes.

JPM had more stern words for Zakzaky apologists.

"We by this march today put them on notice that any protest they stage in pursuit of this evil they are asking for would be met with twice the number of protestors. But unlike them, we would not be asking for the release of extremists, we are rather demanding that all extremists and terrorists should be tried under the stiffest of our laws to serve as deterrence".