Following the clashes between Nigerian troops and members of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, that has led to the killing of score of people; the Sokoto Police Command has warned religious groups and other organization against organizing unauthorized processions.
This instruction was given by the spokesman of the command, El-Mustapha Sani, on Wednesday, December 16. ” The command is proactively monitoring these developments which area recipe for the breach of the peace and it would not fold its arms and be complacent. ” Some emerging developments in Zaria and other parts of the country, occasioned by the recent fracas between the military and the members of the Shi’ite sect call for concerted efforts by all the security agencies.
“It is also noteworthy here that all organisations, religious or otherwise, planning to organise any gatherings should seek for the necessary police permit well in advance,” Sani said. The spokesman further reminded the residents of the state that all Nigerians had equal rights of worship and movements. He said no citizen must, in any way, trample on the rights of others in the process of exercising his or her rights. ”The police command, however, wishes to assure all law abidingresidents of the state that it shall religiously uphold the sanctity of lives.
” The command is ever-ready to ensure the protection of all lives and property for 24 hours and the people should continue to be law abiding in discharging their lawful endeavors,” the police mouthpiece said. Meanwhile, Moqtada al-Sadr, senior Iraqi Shi’ite cleric and the leader of the Sadrist Movement, had strongly criticized the raid on the house of the Nigeria Shi’ite leader, Sheik Ibraheem Zakzaky, which led to the deaths of many people in Zaria, Kaduna state.