President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a message to the Abrahim
El-Zakzaky-led Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, also known as Shiite,
telling them to desist from needless violent street protests.
He urged members of the movement to await the decision of the court in Kaduna where their leader is currently being tried.
In a statement to DAILY POST on Friday, Buhari said “The issue of
El-ZakZaky is before the court in Kaduna and his supporters should focus
on his on-going trial instead of causing daily damages, disruptions and
public nuisance in Abuja.”
The signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media
and Publicity, Garba Shehu, added, “It is wrong to be in court and
resort to violence at the same time in order to get justice for anybody
accused.
“The destruction of public property in the name of protest is not
within the right of this group of Shiite members and no government
anywhere would have tolerated a situation where any group would take
over public roads in cities as they have done in Abuja and interfere
with the rights of other citizens who are prevented from reaching their
destinations.
“We imagine a situation where families are taking their loved ones to
hospital for emergency treatment and they are held up needlessly by the
protesters. No government anywhere in the world would turn a blind eye
to this unlawful behavior.
“As far as this country’s Ministry of Justice is concerned, the case
involving El-Zakzaky is no longer in its domain. The Federal Government
no more has hands in the matter and to that extent, the government at
the centre can be said to be clear of any alleged violations of court
orders as being trumpeted everyday.
“These rallies and street dances ostensibly to openly insult the
President and other leaders, threatening bloodshed will lead nowhere
because President Buhari will not ask the country’s judiciary to abandon
due process and set a suspect free. At the same time, the
administration is determined to enforce the decision of the court
clearly issued. The Buhari administration has absolutely no hand in the
on-going court case and the courts are free to determine the bail
request and the final outcome.
“The mentality that you are above the law and that your own rights are superior to other people’s rights is unacceptable.
“You can’t be provoking other citizens by interfering with their own
rights on public roads and disrupting their businesses and call it
democratic freedom. In democratic traditions, their rights end where the
rights of others begin.
“Law abiding citizens must avoid deliberate lawlessness. It is not
within the rights of any group to enter protected public institutions
such as the National Assembly by force to attack police and destroy
public and private property.
“It is always advisable to embrace dialogue and eschew violence in
all our actions so that we can continue to live together in peace.
“We, therefore, appeal to the Shiite group to stop deliberate
provocations that result in violence and fatalities and allow the trial
of El-ZakZaky to take its course.”