Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shiites Islamic sect, has accused Kaduna State government of committing acts arson, butchery, murder and arbitrary arrest of its members.
The group alleged that the governments of Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto states, using an amalgamation of security agents and operatives turned Wednesday from what could have been a peaceful day for commemorating the martyrdom anniversary of the benevolent grandson of the Prophet, into another mourning day.
The President of IMN Media Forum, Mr. Ibrahim Musa, claimed in a statement on Thursday that the security operatives unleashed on their members the worst forms of state-sponsored terror tactics ever known, through a well-designed plot involving arson, butchery, murder and unwarranted arrests of IMN members in their states.
Musa said that the pattern was uniform in all these places and it was not isolated coincidence.
For most part, he stated, the Annual Ashura procession that we have conducted peacefully over the years had concluded without an incidence. Suddenly, a combined team of well-armed police, military, civil defence and other security operatives camouflaged as thugs (they are though) laid ambush on IMN members.
He said: “Using all weapons at their disposal, they maimed, killed and arrested many in Funtua, Sokoto, Kaduna and Jos in particular. This savagery was followed by arson, particularly in Kaduna and Jos, where Islamic centres, schools and private residences were torched. As at the last count, not less than 20 members were murdered, over a hundred injured and over 300 arrested across these towns.
