Pro-Zakzaky rallies hold nationwide over ‘assassination attempts by govt’

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria held rallies nationwide Friday protesting the alleged desperate attempts by the President Goodluck  Jonathan’s government to kill their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem  Zakzaky. Thousands of protesters including women and children carried posters of the scholar with inscription thus: “We condemn the attempt by Nigerian government to kill Sheikh Zakzaky.” […]

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria held rallies nationwide Friday protesting the alleged desperate attempts by the President Goodluck  Jonathan’s government to kill their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem  Zakzaky.

Thousands of protesters including women and children carried posters of the scholar with inscription thus: “We condemn the attempt by Nigerian government to kill Sheikh Zakzaky.”

In July, soldiers murdered 34 supporters of Sheikh Zakzaky in Zaria during a peaceful pro-Palestinian procession, among which are three of Zakzaky’s sons.

Since then, the scholar has been raising alarm saying that the soldiers are after his life, having killed his three undergraduate children.

A fortnight ago in Potiskum, members of the movement came under bomb attack which killed 35 people and injuring over 100.

A statement distributed during the rally today states that “the Nigerian government under Jonathan’s administration, working for America and the illegal state of Israel, have intensified their wicked attempts of killing the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H).”

The assassination attempts is because “where other so -called leaders have kept mute for fear of their lives and remain humiliated, Sheikh Zakzaky has never failed to expose the evil machinations of the Nigerian government and has always identified with the plight of the people of Nigeria,” the statement signed by Dr Abdullahi Danladi said.

“Sheikh Zakzaky has been at the fore front of speaking and fighting injustice in Nigeria as a result of which he was persecuted by successive and present regimes,” it said.

Citing the recent killings of Zakzaky’s sons and Potiskum massacre, the statement said “it is on this note that we totally condemn the malicious plan to kill Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and to say to Mr Jonathan and his masters that as they prepare to kill Sheikh Zakzaky, they should prepare enough bullets to kill the millions of Muslims and even non-Muslims that identify with his call.”

It added that “it may be easy to start a crisis but the end result may consume the perpetrators.”

The rally was attended by human rights groups, NGOs and other peace-promoters.

The rallies were held in Sokoto, Kaduna, Zaria, Abuja, among other Nigerian cities.