John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly arrested Ibrahim Musa, a former spokesperson of the Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky-led Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites.
Musa, Editor-in-Chief of “Almizan”, a weekly Hausa news magazine published by the IMN, was said to have been arrested at the Aminu Kano International Airport yesterday morning while on his way to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (lesser Hajj).
His arrest was contained in a statement by Abdullahi Usman, a family friend, who condemned his arrest and called for his immediate release.
“This is announcing the arrest of the Editor-in-Chief of Almizan newspaper, a weekly news magazine, published in Hausa, Malam Ibrahim Musa, by the Department of State Service.
“Ibrahim Musa, who was with a family member, Binta Sulaiman, was ‘abducted’ by Nigeria’s secret police at the Aminu Kano International Airport on Wednesday morning while on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj (Umrah),” the statement read.
The statement added that no reason was given by the DSS for his arrest.
Musa was the spokesperson of the IMN throughout the trial of Zakzaky, who was arrested in December 2015, following a bloody clash between the Nigerian army and Shiites members in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Zakzaky, who stood trial in the court alongside his wife, Zeenat, on an eight-count charge of culpable homicide, among others, were discharged and acquitted by a Kaduna High Court in 2021, after spending over five years in detention.
Musa, as the spokesperson of the Islamic group, championed the campaign for the release of the duo.
In 2016, a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, ordered his arrest and prosecution for issuing a statement on behalf of the IMN after it was proscribed by the state government.
It was gathered that Musa operated underground throughout El-Rufai’s tenure as governor, issuing statements on behalf of the Islamic group.
The statement noted that Musa might have been picked up for being part of the campaign for the release of Zakzaky throughout the crisis.
“Musa is known for speaking against the acts of state terrorism, extrajudicial killings and marginalisation of a minority group of Muslims by the Nigerian government under president Muhammadu Buhari.
“We want to believe that the current government of President Bola Tinubu would not want to identify itself with the abuse of democratic tenets, human rights abuses and intimidation through genocide perpetrated by the immediate past regime. Hence, we reiterate the call for Musa’s immediate and unconditional release,” the statement said.
