The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shiite, has said that the spirit of hundreds of its members allegedly massacred under the present administration will hound President Muhammadu Buhari as he leaves office on May 29.
In a statement on Tuesday in Kaduna, Abdullahi Danladi, chairman of IMN’s Resource Forum, said Buhari attempted to muzzle the Shiite, noting that despite the persecution, the Islamic group was resilient, stronger and popular.
He said the President failed the Nigerian masses who saw him as a messiah and gave him massive support to become President.
On December 2015, some members of the Shiites clashed with the Nigerian Army in Zaria, resulting in the killing of over 347 members of the religious group including the four children of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, leader of the IMN.
Zakzaky and his wife Zeenat were arrested, detained and charged to court for alleged
culpable homicide, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace among others by by the Kaduna state government.
The Shiite leader and his wife were however freed by the court after over five years in detention.
Danladi said, Buhari has written his name and that of Nigeria on the black pages of human history.
“It is in the history of Nigerian politics that no single person has enjoyed the support and expectation of the Nigerian masses like president Buhari did.
“He was seen as a messiah from the adversities of President Jonathan’s government.
“How the common man was made to contribute monetarily to the campaign funding of Muhammadu Buhari is still fresh in their minds.
“People saw it as religious onus to elect their redeemer so that they will live evocative and purposeful live.
“The campaign promises centered on poverty eradication, tackling insecurity and checkmating corruption…
“Now that the curtain is drawing, those staunch supporters and fogies have totally and openly abandoned the wrecked ship of the government.
Danladi said, “Many theories have been put forward regarding Buhari’s failure to take Nigeria to the promised land.
“Some attribute it to the lack of professionalism in selecting the cabinet and ill conception of the policies on which the government was run.
“Some saw the problem of nepotism and lack of will to checkmate the bizarre corrupt activities of the government officials.
“All these could be contributory factors in the unforgivable failure of the Buhari administration…
The statement recalled that “Over a thousand armedless people including babies, lactating mothers with their children, old and promising youths were killed openly.
“The house of Sheikh Zakzaky was burnt and demolished along with his 70 year old elder sister.
“Copies of the Holy Quran were destroyed along other religious books.
“Similarly, the Fudiya Islamic Centre and Husainiyya Baqiyatullah all in Zaria were ransacked, burnt and demolished by the “popular” government of that time.
“The bodies of martyrs were dumped in mass graves…
Danladi said, “Now that the game is over for Buhari and his cohorts, let us ask: what have you achieved in the killings you supervised?
To what extent have you succeeded in eliminating the Shiites? Have you been able to curtail the spread of Shia in Nigeria?…
He said the recent apology and call for forgiveness by Buhari “to say the least, is absurd”, as it does not mean anything to those whose family members were killed.
“The spirit of those killed by your government will continue to torment you for the rest of your life…”
