The Islamic Movement In Nigeria Is Not Holding The Judicial Commission Of Inquiry To Ransom

Sequel to the recent declaration by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN calling for the unconditional release of the revered leader of the Movement, his Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky to lead the Movement to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry (JCI), counsel to the Commission, Yunus Ustas Usman accused the IMN of “holding the Commission to ransom” claiming that the IMN “has other stakeholders that it can rely on if it is not able to secure a meeting with El-Zakzaky”

The IMN views the statement made by Yunus Ustas Usman as capable of grossly misleading the general public on who actually is stalling proceedings in order to achieve an already clear set agenda of indicting the Movement.

The IMN made it clear from the onset that his Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky is , the leader, spokesman and custodian of its properties and that it will be unjust, unfair and against the tenets of the rule of law and due process for the leader to be held incommunicado and a Judicial Commission of Inquiry will be sitting to determine the fate of the Movement he leads, the extent of destruction meted to its properties, the number of its members extra judicially executed, missing and or in prison custody.

The two counsel detailed to take the brief of his Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky for purposes of submitting a memoranda to the Commission and prepare his appearance before the Commission have till this moment been prevented from seeing him by the security agencies. It was on the basis of this that the Commission directed Yunus Ustas Usman, the Counsel to the Commission to determine the whereabouts of our leader.

We wonder what happened to the order given to the counsel to the Commission to go and look for the whereabouts of the leader of the Movement for which an earlier adjournment of sitting was made. The Counsel to the Commission should have tendered his findings before the public, but instead choose to urge the Commission to go on without the appearance of Shaikh Zakzaky.

Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky is the sole custodian of the IMN and all its documents whose own residence was attacked by the Nigerian Army in which everyone present at the vicinity was either killed, burnt alive or taken into illegal captivity by the Army. Common sense can tell everyone that the prime witness and major victim involved in the incident is no one but Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky who was targeted for murder by the Army. More so, those abducted by the Army and kept in illegal detention are equally witnesses and victims as well.

How then could they all be kept away in illegal custody while investigation by the said Commission into the incident that directly affected them and in which they are first hand victims and witnesses continue and be said to be fair and just to all parties?

Definitely, it is clear to the world that the Commission has no intention of being fair and just but set to achieve a particular motive even as the government has violated its own constitution by murdering its citizens and using its own tools to defend its malicious actions.

Who among the so-called stakeholders of the Movement does the counsel to the Commission want to appear? Who among the stakeholders had his house, his headquarters and the grave of the Mother attacked and vandalized by the Army? Is it those that are in prison custody and victims and witnesses that they want to appear?

Earlier, the government and its agents lied to the public that Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky is with the police authority only to come and realize later that he is with the Department of State Security, DSS even as he was denied the constitutional right not to be kept for more than 24 hours without being charged before a court of law and was kept incommunicado for almost three months.

If the Army Commanding officer that led the killing spree on Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky’s residence would be present before the Commission, there is no reason why the Sheikh would be denied a listening ear.

On a final note, for justice to be seen to have been done, the IMN demands the unconditional release of the revered leader, his Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky to lead the Movement to the said Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna state government if at all it honestly wants to investigate and produce an honest report.

The leader of the Movement is a Nigerian and must be presumed innocent of whatever offence he is suspected of having committed. He cannot be held incommunicado and a Judicial Commission of Inquiry presumably be set up to determine the remote causes of the crisis.

Signed
IBRAHIM MUSA
President, Media Forum of the Islamic Movement
0805 078 6093