In the name of Allah, the destroyer of all oppressors

A TEXT OF A PRESS STATEMENT BY THE RESOURCE FORUM OF THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT IN NIGERIA DATED 28^TH JUNE 2008 IN AREWA HOUSE, KADUNA.

Gentlemen of the press, on behalf of the Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H), we once again welcome you to yet another unfortunate press conference. This is to address the recent happenings in Sokoto State as well as marking the one year anniversary of the clampdown on the members of the Islamic Movement in the state that prides itself as ‘the seat of the caliphate’.

On May 27^th 2008, a judge, named Mustapha Balle, convicted all the 112 members of the Islamic Movement standing trial to 1000 years in prison, even though only 49 of them were brought to the court that fateful day.  This, has undoubtedly, shown the extent to which the thespian trial witnessed an unprecedented contravention of due process and procedure.

The Muslim Brothers in Sokoto were denied fair hearing/trial throughout the proceedings. They were not allowed to defend themselves either in person or through their counsel; and their request to cross-examine the so-called ‘witnesses’ brought by the prosecution was vehemently rejected. Indeed, all the desiderata of a criminal trial in any civilized jurisprudence in the world, as sensitive and mandatory as they are were completely jettisoned.

 In his “judgment” the judge claimed to have found the members of the Islamic Movement, guilty on eleven (11) count charges of various “offences” to which they pleaded not guilty but were denied the opportunity to present their cases.

The “verdict” it could be recalled, was  the aftermath of the brigandage of the combined team of the Nigerian military force, the Mobile police and area boys, which only a year ago launched an unprovoked attack on the Islamic centre (Markaz) of the Islamic Movement in Sokoto. At the end of this irresponsible act of official gangsterism, aided and abated by the Alu Magatakarda Wammako - led government; properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. Houses of residence, the Islamic centre, and a clinic owned by the members of the Islamic Movement were demolished.

Available statistics has so far indicated that over 180 houses of residence and 25 shops belonging to members of the Islamic Movement were demolished, thereby sending over 1200 men, 900 women (most of them married) and 1500 children to various towns and cities across the country as refugees. This heartless displacement had already led to malnutrition of many children, while scores of several nursing mothers suffered severe trauma and other ailments, not to talk about the state of education of their children which has been unjustifiably disturbed, and other social needs denied as a result of the onslaught.

This feral assault did not stop there as some members of the Islamic Movement were also massacred, several others left with serious injuries in brazen infringement of their fundamental human rights as enshrined even in chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999; provisions of the African Charter on Human and People’s Right; Cap.10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.

While the brothers’ counsel are in court seeking compensation for the demolished Islamic center, the Wamakko-led government has again flouted the judicial process by illegally constructing a ‘police station’ on the site of the Markaz. The demolished family house of late Alhaji Umar Sanda Gudu – father to malam Qasim Umar is also now a site of what the Wamakko-led government mischievously called a ‘clinic’. The site to the residence of Malam Qasim is not spared too.

All this reckless acts of state terrorism were carried out as a result of unresolved murder of one known as Umaru Danmaishiyya. This was the pretext under which the government hid in order to perpetrate such mayhem on the innocent and peace-loving members of the Islamic Movement.

In a desperate and frenzied move to obliterate the ever increasing growth of the Islamic Movement in the state, an act of pitiless incendiary against the members of the Islamic Movement was therefore orchestrated and continued like a wild fire.

Having failed woefully to link the innocent, armless and defenseless members of the Islamic Movement to the killing of Danmaishiyya, some quasi and pseudo-legal personalities with no sense of professional ethics and etiquettes surrendered themselves as willing tools in the hands of the Sokoto Pol Pot, Wammako, dragging the judiciary into the murky waters of politics and sentiments.

With this kangaroo ruling, the false claim of the rule of law has come to be seen as what it really is; an empty mantra. It is therefore instructive to let the world know that no amount of blackmail, intimidation, victimization, state terrorism and official gangsterism will distract and dissuade us from the struggle against forces opposed to the right path of Allah (T).

The Wammako -led government should know that for about three decades now, we have been at the receiving end of savage treatments worse than this from even more despotic rulers than a socially deranged, psychologically disturbed, mentally unhinged and an amoral chinch like him. By Allah’s grace we have been able to withstand their atrocities to their tragic and pitiful ends, one after the other. Rather than diminishing and weakening the Islamic Movement, such actions would further serve as a catalyst to us to grow bigger and wax strongly. his will not be different, in sha-Allah (T).

OUR POSITION

a)    That even going by the Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as earlier quoted; at least our brothers are entitled to their fundamental human rights as citizens. No person, authority or body can deny us of those rights save in accordance with the current slogan of ‘due process’. Thus, the continued violation of their rights in whatever form constitutes grave illegality and must be stopped.

b)   That all the members of the Islamic Movement standing trial are entitled to fundamental rights to fair hearing/trial; which is not subject to any restriction and/or derogation whatsoever.

c)    That even to date the murder of Danmaishiyya still stands unresolved, the ill-conceived plan exploit the situation as a springboard for orchestrating the inhuman and degrading treatment on the members of the Islamic Movement in Sokoto by the Wammako-led government is barbaric and unlawful, hence, it should be condemned by all and sundry.

d)   That immediate adequate compensation must be paid to the relatives of those massacred and those whose houses, shops, schools and properties were destroyed.

Signed:

Abdullahi Danladi