Iran is a country that has developed in the fields of science and technology into becoming a major global nuclear power to be reckoned with all under sanctions for years. It is an oil rich country and OPEC member that does not rely on its oil for survival. Nigeria has more to benefit from Iran than the European and American exploiters who squeeze everything out of us to build their countries. I still leave you to find the answer for me, who is afraid of Iran and why?
Secondly, Sani Yakubu is not in a good position to speak on the IMN at least to a responsible and fair journalist. He is just turned into a joker of the mischief makers and perpetrators of the Zaria massacre. This is a man that declared publicly that Sheikh Zakzaky was not his brother because he is Shi’ite and that Shi’ites and Christians are all infidels. This is his level of insanity.
Sani is one of the ardent anti-Shi’ite Wahhabi extremist who see every other person as an infidel except he follows their way. His personal reason for speaking against Sheikh Zakzaky, beyond religion and faith, is that they shared the same father and not the same mother and so, they did not belong to the same room, that contest and envy the Zaria people refer to as ‘yan’ubanci’ reigns higher in him. To him those from other rooms/mothers must not achieve more than them in life. This is how morally low he is.
In their maiden press conference after the Zaria attack, the Nigerian Army used Sani Yakubu as their joker putting him on the high table and treating him as a special guest with the Army spokesman even specially announcing his presence in the midst of the hungry ‘Arabic speaking idiots’ they gathered. They sponsored him to show support for their attack on Sheikh Zakzaky in order to douse tension and convince the public that their dirty work was in order. He was everywhere in the headlines blackmailing Sheikh Zakzaky. I heard a journalist describing him as the most stupid brother of the year.
Sheikh Zakzaky had other brothers and sisters but were not contacted or quoted because they spoke against the Army inhumanity. In fact if Sheikh Zakzaky was a bad man as you are trying to depict, why did his elder sister Goggo Fatima sacrificed her life defending him that she was even burned alive by the Nigerian Army in the residence of Sheikh Zakzaky during the December attack?
Why didn’t you talk about his nephew Shamsu the son of his brother Abdulqadir that was also brutally killed by the Army when he stood by the door blocking the Army from reaching Sheikh Zakzaky? Why don’t they quote Sheikh Abdulqadir whose son was murdered by the Army? Why don’t they quote Malam Badamasi who has been an ardent follower of the Sheikh? I know why, is because of mischief and calumny against Sheikh Ibraheen Zakzaky and not because of journalism and professionalism.
I know journalists in Kaduna that attended the Army press conference at 1 Division in Kaduna after the Zaria massacre who Sani Yakubu begged not to report what he said because he was made to say it and is shameful. Therefore he lacks both morality and integrity to speak on Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and the IMN and lacks any genuineness as a source of reference when speaking about Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzkay. In like manner everything you have quoted from him lack substance because they have failed the litmus test.
Thirdly, you raised the issue of road blockage and even relating it to civil disobedience and also thinking that you are doing journalism. What a shame. Did President Muhammadu Buhari not block roads when he was campaigning to become Nigeria’s President? Why were he and all APC members not killed by the Army? Everybody blocks road in this country when the need for such arises. Even the church to which the Vice President Yemi Osimbajo belongs blocks one of the most busiest roads in West Africa, the Lagos Ibadan Express way for over three days several times every year and the church members have not been killed by the Nigerian Army. In several occasions even the Army is affected by the blockage but they never killed them because they are not Shi’ites I believe.
Emirs block roads in the north during their Durbar every Sallah and even harass those who insist on using the roads. Mosques and Churches block roads on Fridays and Saturdays respectively. During festivals like yam festivals and carnivals roads are blocked and all these happen during the year and their adherents are not murdered by Nigerian Army. Why the IMN?
I am not surprised that you bring up this issue because it says who you are writing for because it was one of the five changed reasons for the mass murder tendered by the Nigerian Army.
The IMN does not in any way constitute any nuisance to the public because it is so organized in its activities and has the best records of crowd management in Africa.
You falsely describe the IMN as an extremist group without any justification when you the writer have been part of events the movement had conducted along with non-Shi’ite Muslims and Christians alike. The IMN has been condemned by the majority Wahabbi Muslims for building bridges with Christian communities and joining them in their celebrations. I wonder where you have seen a religious extremist opening up to that extent and declaring every human being his brother either in faith or in humanity. IMN is the only Islamic group in the entire country that has a Christian Forum and has as part of its annual programs a Unity Week for Muslims.
Definitely if you are looking for extremists look for them elsewhere and not in the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.
Fourthly, the other point you brought was the one fabricated by the Kaduna state government to justify its role in the attack. This is the issue of Gyallesu residents rejoicing the absence of Sheikh Zakzaky. The Kaduna state government sponsored some individuals in the media in the name of some inexistent groups to blackmail the IMN in order to justify the Army genocide.
The Kaduna state Governor Nasir El-Rufai himself even before announcing the establishment of his Judicial Commission of Inquiry indicted the Movement publicly accusing it of a lot of things he could not prove. It was in the process that those Gyallesu individuals were employed to smear the IMN and its leader.
Most of those involved in the deal are Wahhabis who see the IMN as their enemy and the Army as fighting a Jihad for them by killing Shi’ites.