By Umar Salam.
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), prominently known as Shi’ites, has responded to the Federal Government’s proscription of the sect.
The group described the ban on its activities as unconstitutional, following an ex parte order obtained by the Federal Government from the Federal High Court Abuja, proscribing the activities of the Islamic sect.
Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court Abuja, yesterday, ordered the proscription of the IMN, describing its activities in Nigeria as “acts of terrorism and illegality.”
The ruling prohibits any person or group of persons from participating in any form of activities involving or concerning the IMN under any name or platform in Nigeria.
Reacting to the ruling, the spokesman of the Academic Forum of the IMN, Abdullahi Musa, warned that the IMN being a religious group with members practicing Islam, could not be denied the rights to converge and pray, except the government intends trouble.
“We practice religion; it is Islam we practice and nobody will ban us from praying under the law.
“Does it mean we cannot do all the activities of the sect? Nobody has any right to ban any religion in Nigeria except they want to create another problem in Nigeria”, he warned.