Mary Donatus (Correspondent Bauchi)
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has vowed that it would continue to observe it’s religious rites despite the alleged killings of its members by security forces.
Leader of the movement in Bauchi State, Sheik Ahmed Yusuf Yashi, said this while addressing a press conference in Bauchi on Wednesday, decrying the recent incidences involving members of the movement during their Arba’een trekking in Kano, where two of his members died.
Yashi said that their members who were observing the annual Arba’een symbolic trekkingattacked by security forces on their way to Zaria from various destinations.
“Arba’een trekking is a religious rite being observed by members of the movement to commemorate the historical incidence which occurred in Karbala in which members of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) family were killed.
“This movement has been observing the annual event for six years without any incidence until two years ago when there was a clash with the Nigerian security forces in which over 1,000 members were killed,” he said.
Yashi disclosed that two members of the movement were killed last Sunday in Kano while scores of others were injured.
The leader of the movement disclosed that his members who assembled at Fambeguwa in Kaduna state were also tear-gassed and forced to suspend the trek and returned to their various places.
According to Yashi, as long as there is law which guarantees the freedom of religion in Nigeria, they will follow all legal means to observe their religious rites and obligations.
He said the movement has many pending court cases through which it is pursuing it’s rights and that of its members and will not relent until the end.
lamented that despite the numerous attacks on its members by security forces, government has not come out with a cogent reason to justify it’s actions, even as he reiterated that the movement was peaceful and it’s members have never carried arms against anybody.
According to him, even after the massacre of their members and the unlawful detention of their leader and his wife and the killing of his six children, the movement has not become violent or carried arms to fight the authorities.