Reactions have continued to trail the face-off between the Police and members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria protesting the continued detention of their leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife, with prominent Muslim leaders urging the the Federal Government not to allow the festering crisis degerate into another boko haram.
The Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC Nigeria sampled their opinion in a survey yesterday.
Disu Kamor, Executive Chairman, Muslim Public Affairs Centre said:
It is really sad that the protests of the Shia movement whose leader, Shaykh Ibrahim El ZakZaky, has been in detention for a few years is turning, almost in a slow motion, uglier and deadlier. Today, a high ranking member of the police force and a number of others were reportedly killed during the protests. It seems Nigeria is sleepwalking into another Boko Haram quagmire in the making with the continued largely illegal detention of the Shia leader. We are being dragged into this nightmare by those that have sworn an oath to defend the constitution.
The prolonged detention of Shaykh El ZakZaky outside the protection and safety of the law is not only senseless and ill-adviced from the very beginning, it is also potentially dangerous for all of us.This is what every clear headed person knows, except for those who believe in jackpot justice- a type of anything goes justice. The refusal of the government to obey court orders and release Shaykh El ZakZaky or promptly process him through the court where his guilt or innocence will be proven shows reckless disregard for the rule of law, justice and a flagrant disregard for lessons in recent history. These are clear examples of naked irresponsibility on the part of the government.
President Buhari should accept full responsibility for allowing this situation to deteriorate under his watch, if not on his instruction. Whatever anyone thinks of the Shia sect and whatever anyone thinks of this particular shia movement or its alleged crimes, there is only one place that the law allows that a man be tried and convicted or not. That is in the courtroom and this is the only place this government has refused to allow this man have his day.
