MEMBERS of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, popularly known as Shiites, on Thursday stormed the entrance gate to the National Assembly, demanding the unconditional release of their supreme leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky. Members of the group had been on a peaceful protests in Kano and Kaduna since its leader was arrested and detained. The protesters, who were not allowed into the National Assembly complex, were seen carrying placards and several portraits of the detained leader. Speaking to journalists, leader of the group, Abdullahi Musa said they were at the Assembly to demand the immediate release of their leader who had been detained illegally for months. “We are Nigerians; we are here to
demand the release of our leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky who the government says is in protective custody. “We don’t believe in their protective custody since he has not been found guilty of committing any crime, we demand his unconditional release. “The National Assembly set up a committee which was given two weeks to investigate the Zaria masacre of our members, it is more than one year now we have not heard anything. “We demand justice for our over 1,000 members killed in Zaria by soldiers, among those killed were three biological children of our leader, they shot his wife, they shot him several times and kept him in detention without access to medical attention. We want him free,” Musa asserted. The protesters were later dispatched
when the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mohammad Mustafa, came to the scene with his men. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday called on the federal government to revive the textile industries in Kaduna and Kano axes to boost employment in the country. The resolution followed a motion under matters of urgent national importance moved by Hon. Sunday Katung (PDPKaduna State). Leading the debate, Katung explained that Kaduna textile limited, which was one of the oldest mills in the country, was shutdown in 2002 with its over 7,000 employees laid off. He expressed concern that there were local textile companies trying to raise their voice with various designs and fabric in the Nigerian market.
