By Abdulmumin Giwa
The level of display of loyalty and total submission to the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) by his followers who defended him with their lives to the last man standing is indeed worthy of a serious review.
This should tell everyone that the revered leader, His Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky is no ordinary personality in the eyes of millions of people within and outside Nigeria.
Not less than 1000 unarmed people were incessantly butchered by the Nigerian Army irrespective of their sexes and ages as they stood in defense of their leader watching themselves, dying one after the other for a period of over 48 hours, but still remained undaunted to the last man standing.
This is no ordinary loyalty as it is unequalled in recent histories. It is a display of outright and total submission, trust, confidence and faith in the call of Sheikh Ibraheem Zazkaky and his life mission.
They watched the Army kill them one after the other using heavy weaponry including Rocket Propelled Grenades, RPGs, rocket launchers, Automatic Machine Guns, AMGs and Armored Personnel Carriers, APCs but they still remained steadfast chanting “Allah is Great” until the last man standing.
They protected the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN with their lives which could only be described as the ultimate sacrifice in the life of man, this is the most precious, and the peak of loyalty every commanding officer would hope for among his subordinates.
If Adolf Hitler had gotten this kind of loyalty he would have conquered the world but nay, only some selected individuals have ever gotten there before in the history of mankind.
On the other hand, the Army was busy killing the IMN members and trying to ensure that they return to enjoy the next monthly salary and allowances. That is even why when the unarmed followers of the Sheikh chant “Allahu Akbar” and come out with high spirits the soldiers all rush back like rats seeking safety from what they see as a very scary danger.
Who could ever compare the two in their levels of moral? They are indeed incompatible most especially with that of the IMN members being in the highest of all morals to ever be achieved where life, the most precious possession is sacrificed.
This is talking about some few thousands out of the several millions that were absent from the killing jamboree launched by the Army on the IMN who are equally ever ready to face the same challenge. To them the only antidote to death is martyrdom.
I listened to a Sunni scholar, despite his differences in religious opinion with the Shiite based Movement saying, the Army was stupid in what it did because from all indications it had not thought of the aftermath of its actions before going into it and if it had then the think tank is shallow.
He said Sheikh Zakzaky is not to be attacked because of the level of loyalty he enjoys from wide range of followers, he is rather to be treated with care regard and respect in the interest of the rest of the people of the country, at least this would be the steps to be taken in a civilized country.
Any time I ponder into these facts I begin to ask a lot of questions with wide range of answers.
What if those millions of supporters of the Sheikh were present in Zaria on that fateful day? How many more would have been killed? Assuming they too were armed, what would have been of the carrier men of the Army who are living to make professional achievements in life?
Definitely the story would be different and unpleasant for the Army present there in particular, the Nigerian leadership and citizenry at large. Everyone would have gotten his own share of sorrow sadness and tears.
I heard a Senator calling for caution when the Army attacked IMN during the reign of Goodluck Jonathan saying if Boko Haram, an unorganized group with few followership when compared to the IMN which is the most organized movement in the country, could hold the country to ransom for years, what would be of the country if the IMN is pushed to the wall and they decide to defend themselves?
Alas, President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime ordered another deadly attack on the IMN but its members adopted restraint to avoid the shedding of innocent blood and rendering the country ungovernable as planned by the sponsors of the attack in Israel and America.
What baffles me most is this gigantic question on which my imagination has been satiated, What if the Nigerian Army had killed Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H)? What would have been of Nigeria by now?
I heard the revered leader saying when he is killed no one should go on rampage or kill anybody except he that killed him, but do you think those loyal followers of him would be strong enough to heed to that? It would definitely be difficult for everyone would see it in his pot of soup.
We must thank Allah that the revered leader is still alive as it is a sign that there is hope for the future of the country, the Almighty really loves Nigeria. It is now left for Nigerians to assemble around this great leader of recent times to achieve real independence and emancipation from the clutches of imperialists who employ stooges and make them leaders in poor countries like Nigeria.
I know that the wisest of minds would now start wondering why PMB is still illegally detaining this man of God with impunity and disregard to its consequences. Even if your mouth is yet to chant Free Sheikh Zakzaky,