DAMASCUS, SYRIA (10:45 PM) – Police forces in Kaduna, Nigeria, shot and killed a university student on Sunday during a violent crackdown on an Muslim rally for the release of unlawfully detained Sheikh Ibrahim el-Zakzaky. This is reported by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC).

Abdulmalik Sani, a masters student at Kaduna State University, was killed when police opened fire with live ammunition as they dispersed a rally for the release of the influential Shia cleric.

Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky is a popular cleric who has been instrumental in the spread of Shia Islam amongst the Nigerian population since 1979, and heads the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). It is mainly due to Zakzaky’s influence that the Shia population of Nigeria, which was once nearly non-existent, now counts up to 4 million followers. However, Zakzaky has also drawn many Sunni and nondenominational Muslims to his cause of establishing an Islamic republic in Nigeria.

The Nigerian government has at times cracked down harshly on the growing Islamic Movement of Nigeria, with police forces killing six of his sons in targeted assassinations in 2014 and 2015. In December 2015, Nigerian security forces raided the Sheikh’s home and massacred hundreds of his followers, after which Zakzaky was arrested. The Sheikh has been held in detention without charge or trial ever since, in violation of the country’s constitution.

“Today’s attack is yet another unjustified attack on the IMN and its supporters. It is a flagrant violation of the right to free assembly and free speech. These transgressions are only possible because the government has created a climate in which atrocities against the IMN can go unpunished.”, the IHRC stated.

ALSO READ  Satellite images reveal China is dramatically increasing airbase near Indian border: photos

Despite an order by the High Court of Nigeria on 2 December 2016 that ordered Sheikh Zakzaky’s release within 45 days, the government has failed to comply with the order, and Zakzaky still remains under state detention up until this day. According to several sources, the Sheikh is suffering from serious ailments as a result of his arrest and consistent denial of proper medical care, and is in risk of going blind as a result.

Advertisements
Share this article:
  • 22
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
    22
    Shares

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Notice: All comments represent the view of the commenter and not necessarily the views of AMN.

All comments that are not spam or wholly inappropriate are approved, we do not sort out opinions or points of view that are different from ours.

Be Civil

This is a Civilized Place for Public Discussion

Please treat this discussion with the same respect you would a public park. We, too, are a shared community resource — a place to share skills, knowledge and interests through ongoing conversation.

These are not hard and fast rules, merely guidelines to aid the human judgment of our community and keep this a clean and well-lighted place for civilized public discourse.

Make it better

Improve the Discussion

Help us make this a great place for discussion by always working to improve the discussion in some way, however small. If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.

The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.

Now the hard part!

Be Agreeable, Even When You Disagree

You may wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it. That’s fine. But remember to criticize ideas, not people. Please avoid:

  • Name-calling
  • Ad hominem attacks
  • Responding to a post’s tone instead of its actual content
  • Knee-jerk contradiction

Instead, provide reasoned counter-arguments that improve the conversation.