The world is aware of the brutal attack on the peaceful citizens on Sunday 5th November, 2017 by the Police in Kano. In the unwarranted attack, four innocent citizens were killed; Umar Ahmad Gano, a father of one, A’isha Muhammad, a mother of two, Shafi’u Rabi’u and Husaina Dr. Dauda, a brilliant level 200 student of Civil Engineering in Bayero University.
Beside a number of members arrested who were charged with public disturbance and unlawful assembly, many sustained various degrees of injuries from those constitutionally mandated to protect them. Most disturbing was the maltreatment of women which included removal of hijab, a very shocking act unacceptable in Islam. The IMN members attacked were on the 6th annual symbolic trek in commemoration of the fortieth day mourning of the assassination of Imam Husain (AS), the grandson of the noble Prophet Muhammad (S) and few band of his followers in 61 AH.
Among other questions are; why were the citizens attacked for staging a peaceful procession? What is the constitutional provision in the event of an unlawful assembly if it were? To what extent should this continue in acclaimed democratic dispensation which ought to consider and respect the wishes and yearnings of the citizens? And why is IMN singled out from enjoying freedom of religion and association as generally provided by the law of the land? In the last year’s event, many members were brutally attacked by the same Command killing 25 including an eight months old baby, Zainab Abubakar Fagge. Most of the bodies are yet to be handed over to their families for Islamic burial. Beside those wounded, many were arrested and the unjustified cases are still pending in courts.
While categorically declaring the need for the corpses released, unconditional release of those arrested wounded or not, the murderers of the peaceful citizens should be brought to book. We also call on the civil liberties organisations, human rights agencies/groups and the international community to join hands with us to ensure justice at all cost.
As the Shaikh el-Zakzaky clocks 700 days in illegal detention with many of his disciples, we use this medium to emphasize the need for their unconditional release.
Signed
Yusuf Abdullahi 23rd Safar, 1439 AH (13th November, 2017)