Why We Haven’t Commented On The Shi’ites/Police Clashes – MURIC

Shiites protest

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has in a press statement explained why it has not said anything concerning the ongoing face off between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), (Shiites) and the Nigerian government.


The group, whose mandate is to protect the rights of Muslims in the country said due to patriotic concerns, it cannot discharge such function concerning the IMN controversy.

In a statement signed by its Director, Ishaq Akintola, while responding to the secretary general of IMN, Abdulmumin Giwa’s who accused all sister Islamic sects and the right groups of abandoning them to their fate and allegedly taking sides with the federal government.

Last week, there was a clash between the IMN and police in Abuja, when they staged a protest to secure the release of their leaders, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky who was arrested in December 2015, following a clash his members had with the soldiers.

Naija News learnt that after an ambush allegedly carried out by the sect on the chief of army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, soldiers attacked and demolished the house of Sheik Al-Zakzaky in Zaria, which use to be the spiritual headquarters of the Shiite sect. During the raid, the Shiite leader and his wife were arrested.

Mr. El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah Ibraheem, have been in detention without charge for more than two years.

A judicial commission of inquiry set up by the Kaduna state government had confirmed that more than 300 persons who were members of the IMN were killed during the face-off in Zaria. The corpses of the deceased were confirmed to have been buried in a secret mass grave.

In response to such accusation, MURIC said its silence was more of national interest any other interest. The group however wished IMN well in its quest to seek the release of their leader

“Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria have been staging daily protests in Abuja for more than a week now over the continued detention of their leader, Shaykh Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky since the military clampdown on the group about two years ago” MURIC’s statement reads..

“The Secretary of the IMN media team, AbdulMumin Giwa, on Saturday, 21st April, 2018, also accused other Islamic organizations of keeping mute over the group’s plight. He said other groups see the IMN as rivals. Apart from this allegation, a section of the media has also recently bombarded the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) with questions over its presumed ‘silence’ on the plight of the Shiites.

“While we would not like to drag issues with the IMN and we wish them well, we wish to state clearly and categorically that MURIC has not commented on the group’s recent protests because we are being cautious.”

“We see the need for us to exercise caution because there is more to the matter than meets the eye. We do not see IMN as our rival.”