Declare Islamic Movement of Nigeria a terrorist organization now – Rights Group tells UN

A human rights group, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has called on the United Nation mission in Nigeria to prevail on the United Nations General Assembly to designate the IMN as a terrorist organization.

 

CESJET described the penchant of the IMN, which has vowed not to respect the Nigerian government, to attack security agents and destruction of lives and properties as similar to a terrorist organizations.

 

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, Executive Secretary Comrade Ikpa Isaac, urged the UN to quickly intervene on the incessant attacks on police and other security agencies by members of the IMN also known as Shiites.

 

According to him, the numerous atrocities being committed by the IMN against the Nigerian state can no longer be ignored by the world.

 

He said, “It is now obvious that the recent clash in Kano where the sect had the boldness to open fire on innocent Nigerians is a clear indication that they are anarchists who may soon declare their own version of Islamic State.”

 

“Even as we wait for international community to act, we call on the Federal Government to arrest the leaders of the sect found to have been behind the Zaria protest and should subsequently be prosecuted as warning that the life of every single policeman in Nigeria counts.”

 

Isaac said the silence of Nigerians and the international community over the conspiracy of IMN and the Iranian authorities against constituted authority in Nigeria is no longer golden.

 

“In the latest incident, not only did IMN members embarked on what amounted to induced suicide they also saw to it that they killed policemen drafted to keep the peace.”

 

CESJET expressed the group’s condolences to the families of the deceased policemen, saying, “we pray that God consoles those they left behind particularly dependents who now have to go through life without the support of their breadwinners.”

Terrorist Group Deadlier Than Boko Haram May Emerge- Bauchi Gov.

Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, has warned that efforts to re­build the areas devastated by activities of insurgents in the North-East will fail unless the underlying problems of poverty and ignorance were adequately addressed.

Abubakar gave the warning yesterday when he received a 12-member As­sessment Team of the Eu­ropean Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and World Bank (WB) on insurgency devastated areas in the North-East to Bauchi.

Alhaji Wakil Adamu from the office of the vice president, led the team on a courtesy call to him at Gov­ernment House, Bauchi in company with officials of National Emergency Man­agement Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Man­agement Agency and UNI­CEF, among others.

The governor said the mission of the team was a welcome and timely one in view of the devastation Boko Haram has unleashed on Nigerians particularly those residing in the North- East.

“Rebuilding infrastruc­ture is important in re­building the areas but ad­dressing the underlying factor of the insurgency is much more important be­cause the North-East is se­riously affected by poverty and ignorance.

“If poverty and igno­rance are not properly ad­dressed, they could pro­vide grounds for the rise of another crazy group if Boko Haram is taken care of. We are running a risk if poverty is not addressed.”

He explained that Bau­chi State has played host to an influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) since 2004 following ethno-religious crises in Kaduna, Plateau and some parts of Bauchi long be­fore the Boko Haram crisis broke in1999.

Credit: Sun

I would have Rejected MEND’s Endorsement- Jonathan

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, noted that for a faction of MEND that had attacked venues where the President was presiding over events at least two times, the attack on the person of the President did not come as a surprise.

President Jonathan therefore advised General Mohammadu Buhari not to “place any stock on his purported endorsement by the renegade faction of MEND which is led by a convicted and unrepentant terrorist with whom no leader who truly means well for Nigeria should be associated”.

The statement reads:

“We have noted with amusement, the vituperations against President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by the renegade faction of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) headed by the convicted terrorist, Henry Okah in a statement issued to endorse the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

“While we thank all people of the Niger Delta, including the former militants whom MEND claims to represent who have already disassociated themselves from the statement issued by the faceless Jomo Gbomo and reaffirmed their unflinching support for President Jonathan’s re-election, we will like to state that the latest assault on the President by Henry Okah and his stooges did not come as a surprise to us at all.

“It was very much to be expected, coming as it did from an individual and group who have never hidden their vengeful personal animosity against the President and who have even gone to the extent of launching murderous assaults on venues at which the President was present on two occasions.

“It is most regrettable indeed that rather than show remorse for the terrorist acts against his fatherland for which he is now rightly serving a term of imprisonment in South Africa, Henry Okah continues to pursue a pointless personal vendetta against President Jonathan who continues to advance and protect the interests of the people of the Niger Delta which Okah and his group threatened with their misguided actions.

“The vituperations against President Jonathan in the MEND statement endorsing General Buhari are mischievous, baseless and deliberately styled to denigrate the good works of the President.

“It is well known that President Jonathan played a significant role in ending the militancy and insurgency in the Niger Delta.

“Under his watch, the destruction of oil facilities and the incessant kidnapping and killing of expatriates in the Niger Delta waterways have become a thing of the past.

“The attempt by Jomo Gbomo’s MEND to rewrite history by tarnishing the person of President Jonathan for selfish, pecuniary and political gains will amount to an exercise in futility.

“All patriotic and right-thinking Nigerians must consider an endorsement from a convicted criminal and his group who harbor evil intentions against the unity and progress of their country as a poisoned chalice.

“President Jonathan would never have accepted such an endorsement from terrorists and renegades.

“The President therefore advises General Buhari not to place any stock on his purported endorsement by the renegade faction of MEND which is led by a convicted and unrepentant terrorist with whom no leader who truly means well for Nigeria should be associated”

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