Israeli, Saudi, US Axis Preventing Release of Nigeria’s Sheikh Zakzaky

In an exclusive interview with Al Waght, Sheikh Dr Sanusi Abdulkadir a senior Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) noted that external forces are preventing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari from releasing Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife.

He pointed out that, “We have discovered that there are external forces including the Israeli, the US government and Saudi Wahhabis who have prevented the Nigerian President from releasing Sheikh Zakzaky.” He pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari is afraid of being in a collision course with the foreign powers by releasing the IMN leader.

Illegal detention of Sheikh Zakzaky

Dr. Abdulqadir termed Sheikh Zakzaky’s continued detention as illegal since the country’s court ordered his release.

December last year, a Nigerian court ruled that Sheikh Zakzaky should be released unconditionally.

The Abuja division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria also ruled that Zakzaky's wife, Zeenat, should be released.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole said the court had come to the conclusion that the IMN leader and his wife "have been kept against their desires, thereby resulting in the breach of their rights to liberty."

The judge also stated that he had ordered the "immediate release" of the two "because the family house in Zaria was destroyed between December 12 and December 14, 2015."

On the health status of Sheikh Zakzaky, Dr. Abdulkadir noted that he was shot on the eye, hand and leg when security forces raided his residence. He added that Sheikh Zakzaky remains only with one eye which requires urgent medical attention abroad otherwise he will completely loose his vision. Dr. Abdulkadir added that Sheikh Zakzaky’s wife is deplorable as she also remains with some bullets in her stomach and needs immediate treatment.

Arabeen killings

Regarding the recent incident where Nigerian troops killed four members of IMN during the annual Arbaeen procession in the country’s northern city of Kano, Dr. Abdulqadir who is also a close confidante of Sheikh Zakzaky said he personally led the procession which was peaceful.

Arbaeen is the last day of the 40-day mourning period that follows the anniversary of the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) grandson, Imam Hussein AS, in the seventh century.

The INM official added that after the procession ended, the police opened fire indiscriminately killing two female university students and two other male youths. Dr. Abdulqadir added that 11 other people were shot and injured during the incident.

Suppression will not last forever

On the future of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, he added that movement leaders have suffered from barbarism but expressed hope that despite the bleak situation, the movement has support of many Nigerians including Christians.

He pointed that even with backing by the Israeli, US, Saudi axis, the suppression will not go forever and neither will it succeed.

Tensions between the Nigerian government and Islamic Movement members, mostly Shiite Muslims, broke out in December 2015 in the city of Zaria in Kaduna state when the army killed over 1,000 innocent Muslims. During the incident, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria leader Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife were shot and badly wounded and thereafter detained by Nigerian security agencies. They are still being held incommunicado by security forces with their health rapidly deteriorating.

The massacre and continued persecution of Shiite Muslims continues amid a deafening silence by the UN which has ignored the crimes committed by the Nigerian regime against Muslims in the West African state.