Senators blame Iran for allegedly radicalising group’s leader, El-zakzaky

The Senate has expressed shock over the alleged radicalisation of the leader of the Shiite sect also known as Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky by the Republic of Iran.

According to Punch, the lawmakers also vowed to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria from any external interference.

They said this while speaking with members of a civil society group, the Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative (CGGCI) who marched to the National Assembly on Thursday, November 24, 2016.

The group was in the Senate to request that the Shiite sect be banned from carrying out its activities in Nigeria.

The leader of the group, Ogenyi Emmanuel, also alleged that there are video evidence showing that members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria carrying out military drills.

He said “These Iranian representatives in the country operate under the name of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, which has disavowed the secular state prescribed in the constitution. IMN has emphatically declared that it does not recognise the Federal Government of which the National Assembly is the third arm.

“The IMN members had clashed with the police in Kano leading to the deaths of many people.”

Also speaking on the issue of the sect, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, who received the group, said “We will protect Nigerians against any foreigner that will come under any guise to destabilise this country. We have taken notice of what you have stated. In fact, the Senate President specifically asked me and my colleague to come out here and address this issue. So, we will go back to the Senate and look at it intensively.”

Meanwhile, members of the Shiite sect have accused the governmentof trying to silence them.