Presidency clarifies reasons for proscribing Shiite group

After obtaining a court order to proscribe the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), the Presidency has explained the reason behind the proscription of the Muslim group.

The presidency said the proscription was meant to stop the “killings and wanton destruction of both public and private property by the IMN.”

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, July 28, 2019, the government said the clarification became necessary following allegations by IMN members that the government has stopped them from observing five times daily prayers and going to Mecca for pilgrimage.

The statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu reads in part: “The Presidency explains that contrary to the claim by IMN that it had been banned from practising its religion, President (Muhammadu) Buhari’s administration has not banned Shi’ites from observing their five daily prayers and going to Mecca to perform the Holy pilgrimage.

“Their position is blatantly false and deceptive.

“The IMN is deliberately changing the narrative in order to gain sympathy and divert the attention of the world from its terrorist activities, including attacking soldiers, killing policemen and a youth corps member, destroying government ambulances and public property, consistently defying authority of the state.

“The Presidency notes that the banned organisation was taken over by extremists who didn’t believe in peaceful protests and instead employed violence and arson, driving fear and undermining the rights of others and constituted authority.

“The Presidency agrees that the Constitution protects freedom of worship, but not to the detriment of the society, especially where such freedom harms others, and breaks law and order.”

The statement further states that government’s efforts to make IMN members protest peacefully and abandon violence fell on deaf ears.

“The Presidency insists that such criminal behaviour and disregard for rights of others and human life will not be tolerated by any responsible government, explaining that everywhere in the world protesters operate within legal boundaries and conduct themselves peacefully without molesting others, or engaging in murder and killing of security personnel or destroying public and private property.

“The Presidency regrets that despite all efforts by the government and other well-meaning Nigerians to make the IMN militants to see reason and abandon violence, such appeals fell on deaf ears as they killed, maimed and destroyed wilfully, constituting daily nuisance to workers, commuters and other innocent citizens.

“Having defied appeals to operate peacefully, and given their seeming determination to destabilise the country, the government had to act before the situation goes out of control, after admonishing many times over that people should not use religion to perpetuate lawlessness.

“We are fighting lawlessness and criminality and not pursuing a policy of discrimination against any group.

“You cannot be in court while at the same time engaging in violent protests, molesting people and inflicting pains on others, which includes taking innocent lives.”

Meanwhile, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has reacted to the court order obtained by the Federal Government to proscribe their activities.

The members of the movement, which was also declared as a terrorist group by the Federal High in Abuja on Friday, July 26, 2019, said no court can stop them from practising their religion.