Shite Sect Not Banned By IMN Proscription, Presidency Explains

By Editor

The Shite religious form of worship has not been banned in the country, the presidency said on Sunday as it moved to delink its proscription of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN from the alleged ban on the Shite sect.

The presidency in a statement said the IMN which it claimed had waged violence on the country and its citizens was what was banned.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in the statement said:

“The IMN is deliberately changing the narrative in order to gain sympathy and divert the attention of the world from its terrorist activities, including attacking soldiers, killing policemen and a youth corps member, destroying government ambulances and public property, consistently defying authority of the state.

“The Presidency notes that the banned organization was taken over by extremists who didn’t believe in peaceful protests and instead employed violence and arson,  driving fear and undermining the rights of others and constituted authority.

“The Presidency agrees that the constitution protects freedom of worship, but not to the detriment of the society, especially where such freedom harms others, and breaks law and order.

“The Presidency insists that such criminal behavior and disregard for rights of others and human life will not be tolerated by any responsible government, explaining that everywhere in the world protesters operate within legal boundaries and conduct themselves peacefully without molesting others, or engaging in murder and killing of security personnel or destroying public and private property.

“The Presidency regrets that despite all efforts by the government and other well-meaning Nigerians to make the IMN militants to see reason and abandon violence, such appeals fell on deaf ears as they killed, maimed and destroyed wilfully, constituting daily nuisance to workers, commuters and other innocent citizens.

“Having defied appeals to operate peacefully, and given their seeming determination to destabilize the country, the government had to act before the situation goes out of control, after admonishing many times over that people should not use religion to perpetuate  lawlessness.

“We are fighting lawlessness and criminality and not pursuing a policy of discrimination against any group,” the Presidency  stressed. “You cannot be in court while at the same time engaging in violent protests, molesting people and inflicting pains on others, which includes taking innocent lives.”

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG