Mr Femi Falana, lawyer to the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has condemned the action of the Federal Government to proscribe the Shiite group.
In a statement on Saturday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights activist described the proscription as ‘immoral and illegal’.
He believes that the order is particularly opportunistic on the part of the Sunnis occupying public offices to use the instrumentality of the state to liquidate the Shiites.
Mr Falana noted that the IMN was proscribed by the Kaduna State government in 2016, just like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was proscribed in 2017.
He added that the groups have continued to operate in defiance of the proscription orders.
The senior lawyer explained that he secured an Appeal Court judgment on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari and his defunct political party, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003 after the police allegedly unleashed violent attacks on Nigerians protesting in Kano against the alleged rigging of the 2003 General Elections.
According to him, the police had accused the protesters of not obtaining a police permit before their demonstration.
Mr Falana said at that time, the justices of the Court of Appeal unanimously held that the rights of Nigerians to protest against the policies of the government was part of the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution.
He, therefore, asked the government to withdraw the proscription order, insisting that it would not stand as the fundamental right of the Shiites to freedom of religion was constitutionally guaranteed.
The statement reads in Part: “Therefore, the proscription of the IMN for the demonstrations of the Shiites against the disobedience of court orders by the Buhari regime is immoral and illegal in every material particular”.
“The illegal proscription of the IMN should be withdrawn. It will not stand as the fundamental right of the Shiites to freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed”.
“However, in a desperate bid to prevent the Shiites from demanding for the release of their detained leader, Elzakzaky and his wife, from the custody of the State Security Service the Buhari administration has proscribed the Islamic Movement of Nigeria”.
“Since there are millions of Shiites who belong to the IMN the federal government will soon realise that it has merely driven the body underground”.
Recall that the Federal Government had obtained an order to proscribe the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).
The Federal Government had filed the suit before the court few days after the protest by members of the shiite group clashed with officers of the Nigerian Police in Abuja.
The clash which turned bloody left Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Federal Capital Territory Command, Usman Umar, and an NYSC member serving with Channels Television, Precious Owolabi, killed with many others injured and properties destroyed.
