Elzazaky:Group vows to continue daily sit-out despite attack by police
A Pro-Democracy group in Nigeria dedicated to the rule of law, good governance and anti-corruption, Concerned Nigerians, has condemned the Wednesday’s attack on its members and that of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN at the Unity Fountain Abuja by officers and men of the Nigerian Police. The group in a statement issued by its National […]
A Pro-Democracy group in Nigeria dedicated to the rule of law, good governance and anti-corruption, Concerned Nigerians, has condemned the Wednesday’s attack on its members and that of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN at the Unity Fountain Abuja by officers and men of the Nigerian Police.
The group in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Theophilus Abu Agada, said the group and other protesters came under attack and were prevented from holding its 78th daily sit-out to demand the unconditional release of Sheik Ibrahim Elzazaky who has been incarcerated for over 800 days.
“We are greatly worried that we now live in a nation where citizens cannot freely express themselves or carry out a peaceful procession without being harassed or attacked by the Police that are saddled with the responsibility to protect them.
“The Nigerian Police must not infringe on our right to peaceful assembly and movement as guaranteed by the constitution. We are peaceful organization and our conducts since the inception of our daily sit-out have been very peaceful.
“This repulsively reckless and gross abuse of our rights as citizens of Nigeria must stop forthwith,” the group noted in the statement.
The group vowed to continue the daily sit-out until those who were extrajudicially killed in Zaria get justice and their leader Sheik Ibrahim Elzakzaky and his wife are released from detention.
The Zaria massacre was carried out by the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State on Saturday, 12 December 2015. Up to 348 Shiites, including members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria were killed.
The Army claimed that it had responded to an attempt to assassinate Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. This claim has been strongly rejected by the Islamic Movement and several human rights organizations who argue that the massacre occurred without any provocation and that all the protestors were unarmed