‘Zakzaky, followers, most persecuted in Nigeria’

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have said that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) under the leadership of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky was the most persecuted group in Nigeria, having suffered rights violation more than any group in the country.

The organizations, at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, said for nearly a decade, the insecurity situation in the country has been on the increase largely due to violation of human rights and injustice

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Comrade Mikail Yunus, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, said prior to 2009, the country enjoyed relative calm in both areas of insecurity and violation of human rights.

According to him, the IMN under leadership of Sheikh Zakzaky had over the past 40 years of existence, suffered tremendous right violations for confronting and resisting oppression, injustice, corruption, aggression and persecution on the account of protecting rights of others.

“In this way, the Islamic Movement suffered rights violation more than any group in this country”, he said.

“This is why it is a focal point for rights organizations.”

Yunus said the federal government should be made to account for all the crimes committed against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC).