SOKOTO CRISIS

FROM NIGERIAN DAILIES

Daily Triumph Newspaper                    24^th July, 2007

Police Arrest 120 over Sunni, Shi’ite Clash

From Mustapha Saye, Kaduna

 In response to the recent religious- induced violence in Sokoto State over the assassination of an Islamic scholar, the Resource Forum of Islamic Movement has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested by the security agents on false and what they called a planned attempt.

They said as they are widely known for non-violence in the discharge of their religious activities for over three decades in the country, there is no way they should innocently kill a human being even if he is not a Muslim, let alone an Islamic scholar.

Making their demands known at a press briefing at Arewa House Kaduna Sunday, the secretary of the Sheikh Ibrahim Al- Zakzaky led movement, Barr. Muhammed Diffa said the incident is a grand design to destroy the Islamic movement aimed to confront the world’s freemasonic agenda of worshipping Lucifer.

“We are advanced enough to escape the trap for Muslims of the theory of the Ivy League intellectual, Bernard Lewis who told USA President George Bush after the Jew sponsored September 11 fight, ‘American must not fight muslims  directly, instead it should organize, support and arm good against bad Muslims; it should seek to quarantine Muslims and trigger a civil war among them, so as to get the good ones to closet and confront the bad (?) Ones’

“The Muslim brotherhood then in spite of the fact that the slained Islamic scholar ordered attacks on their members and destruction of their houses and business in the past, they did not have anything to do with his killing whatsoever, because they know very well he is being used unconsciously by Muslim enemies- the adherents of Bearnard Lewis School of thought, “he added.

According to him, similar pathetic script was attempted to be acted in Kano barely three months ago, when a prominent scholar late Sheik Ja’afar Adam was killed in Kano by people widely believed to be security agents or paid agents of American plot and script actors Lewis theory.

The forum said they anticipated the charade and even more deadly ones because it was the major campaign pledges of Magatakarda PDP- led administration, by which wherever he goes, he consistently assures the Sokoto people, that if elected as governor, he will rid the entire state of all supporters and adherents of the progeny of Muhammad (SAW) who are Shities.

They asked if the governor is not partisan and against the members, “why did he flee the country after he issued order and endorsed the incident against innocent Muslims? What brought in military in civilian crises to partake in killing innocent and defenseless souls and destruction of their property? Why the immediate arrest and killings of Muslims who are suspects, not even convicts in Sokoto state?  What does Nigerian constitution say about a suspected killer even if he is caught red- handed? These are some of the questions all right persons ought to demand answers for,” the forum added.

They then called on the government to bring to book all perpetrators of the late Dan Maishiyya killings and over 10 Muslims brothers and sisters without further delay, and compensation to be paid to all of them.

Daily Trust  Newspaper                                          25^th July, 2007

Sokoto: Zakzaky Wants Cleric’s Murder Probed

By Aliyu Machika

The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has called for investigations into the killing of Sheikh Umaru Dan Maishi’a the Sokoto-based cleric as well as others who were killed in reprisal attacks.

He also called for the unconditional release of those arrested after the killing of the Islamic cleric, many of whom are of the Shiite sect.

He said more than ten members of the movement were killed.

In a statement signed by the secretary of the Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Barrister Muhammad Diffa, Malam Zakzaky said compensation must also be paid to those who were killed and those whose houses, shops and other properties were destroyed.

El-Zakzaky denied any involvement of his movement in the cleric’s killing that the movement did not resort to violence because the beneficiaries of such cries are no other than the enemies of Muslims.

He alleged that those who always serve as perpetrators of such dastardly acts and heinous crimes are known divisive elements within the Muslim Ummah.

He said that throughout the period the first crises lasted, not less than six of his members were murdered and property of several others worth several millions of naira destroyed.

“But members of the Islamic Movement did all they could to avoid engaging each other in a free- for – all and senseless fight with these divisive elements whom we see as our fellow brethren in the faith, but who are being used consciously by our common foes,” the statement added.

“We are proud to state that all efforts to provoke or incite us to fall prey to America’s plots or to stampede us to join the league of those uncivilized Muslims who are always used to create disharmony, hatred and destruction of the Muslim Ummah in different parts of the world would be defeated,” he added.      24^th July, 2007

Leadership Newspaper

Islamic movement calls for release of detained members

From Babangida Kakaki, Kaduna

Following the violence in Sokoto state over the assassination of an Islamic scholar of the Resource Forum of Islamic Movement has called for immediate and unconditional release of all their members illegally arrested by the security agents.

They stated that they were widely known for non-violence in the discharge of their religious activities, and there was no way they would have killed a human being even if she/he is not a Muslim, let alone an Islamic scholar.

Making their demands known in a press briefing at the Arewa House in Kaduna, the secretary of the El-Zakzaky –led movement popularly known as Shiites, Barrister Muhammad Diffa said the incident was a grand design to destroy Islamic movements.

“We are advanced enough to escape the trap for Muslims of the theory of the Ivy League Intellectual Bernard Lewis who told USA President George Bush after the Jew sponsored September 11 that “America must not fight directly, instead should organize, support and arm good against bad Muslims; it should seek to quarantine Muslims and trigger a civil war among them, so as to get the good ones to closet and confront the bad ones, the Lewis said.

The Muslim brotherhood said that in spite of the fact the4 slain Islamic scholar ordered attacks on their members and destruction of their houses  and business in the past, they did not have anything to do with his killing whatsoever, because they know well that he was being used by Muslim enemies thereabout of the Bearnard Lewis School of Thought.

They said a similar pathetic script was attempted in Kano barely three months ago, when a prominent scholar, late Shiek Ja’afar Adam was killed in Kano by people widely believed to be security agents or paid agents of American plot and script actors of Lewis theory.

The forum said they anticipated the charade and even more deadly ones because it was the major campaign pledges of the Magakarda PDP- Led administration, which wherever he went, consistently assured the Sokoto people, that if elected governor, he would rid the entire state of all supporters and adherents of the Progeny of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad SAW who are Shiite.          24^th July, 2007

New Nigerian Newspaper

Shi’ite demands detained leaders release.

From ISMAILMUDASHIR, Kaduna

THE Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria otherwise known as Shi’ite has called for the release of their leader in Sokoto, Malam Kashimu Maitanayaye, and all those who were arrested by the police last week over the killing of a Sokoto –based Islamic preacher, Malam Umar Dan Maishiyya.

Late Umar Dan Maishiyya was shot in the head last Wednesday at about 8:00pm while he was preaching at the Shehu Mosque.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, the secretary of the forum, Barrister Muhammed Diffa said the release of the detainees became necessary to give way for the commencement of constructional and legal investigation into the incident.

“In line with the teaming of our leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, throughout the period the first crises lasted, and which not less than six of our members were brutally murdered and our property were destroyed, members of the Islamic Movement did all they could to avoid engaging themselves in a free –for-all and senseless fight with those divisive element who we see as our fellow brethren in faith, but were being used consciously or unconsciously by our common foes.

“One other interesting and important reason why we have never or are not disposed to this type of uncivilized, hatred – generating and prohibited act is as a result of our consciousness of the fact that the greater beneficiaries of such crises are no other that the enemies of both Sunni and Shi’ah,” he added.

Emphasizing that the perpetrators of the killing of both Dan Maishiyya and that of the 10 members of the Shi’ite must be brought to book, he said.

Compensation must be paid to those that were killed and t6hose whose houses, shops and property were destroyed.             24^th July, 2007

ThisDay Newspaper .
Sokoto Sectarian Crises

In response to the sectarian crises in Sokoto State over assassination of an Islamic scholar, the Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria based in Kaduna state, has called for immediate release of its members arrested over what they called “simple, trivial, and resolvable sectarian difference.” The group said it is widely known for non-violent activities for over three decades, and wondered why they should be accused of killing a human being, let alone an Islamic scholar. At a press briefing at Arewa House over the weekend, Secretary of the El-Zakzaky-led movement, popularly called Shiites, Barrister Muhammad Diffa, said the incident is a grand design to incite Muslim against themselves, adding that the movement is not disposed to uncivilized and hatred generating acts, which will ultimately not benefit Muslims.