Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has described the leader
of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky as an
“animal.”
Governor El-Rufai, who made the comment while featuring on Channels Television
programme “Hard Copy,” however stressed, after being asked by the
interviewer to retract the comment, that the remark was not meant to
denigrate the Shi’ite leader.
The diminutive leader also disclosed that his problem with the
El-Zakzaky’s faction of the group was due to their refusal to
acknowledge the sovereignty of the Nigerian government.
According to El-Rufai, “Shi’ites are citizens of Nigeria and they are
entitled to practice their religion, there is no problem with that.
Those protesting for the release of El-Zakzaky are not necessarily
Shias, they are members of El-Zakzaky’s movement.
“In Kaduna, there are two other Shi’ite organisations that don’t
protest, they don’t block high ways, they recognize the President of
Nigeria and me as the governor of the state and we don’t have a problem
with them.
“The one that we have problems with is the Islamic Movement of
Nigeria, IMN, headed by El-Zakzaky, they don’t recognised the President
of Nigeria as sovereign, they don’t recognise me as governor. Their
allegiance is to another country and their objective is to turn Nigeria
into an Islamic republic.
“They are against the state, never recognised the Nigerian constitution.
“I know El-Zakzaky personally, we were both students at the Amadu
Bello University in Zaria, we were both active in the Muslim Students
Society so I know the animal I’m dealing with. Many of those making
comments on this issue don’t know the history, I was in ABU when
El-Zakzaky was dismissed, I know him.”
On outlawing the group, El-Rufai said, “Outlawing them is the only
solution we see and anybody with different view should tell us.”