Inside El-Zakzaky Kingdom: ROAD TO ANOTHER BOKO HARAM

The Nigerian government may have yet stirred another hornet’s nest with the killing of members of the Shi’ite Islamic sect, otherwise known as Islamic Movement in Nigeria, and the subsequent arrest of its leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky. And unless something urgent is done to secure the release of the group’s leader, while government makes adequate plans to compensate the families of the deceased, in accordance with Islamic in-junctions, the havoc being caused by the outlawed Boko Haram group, would be small, compared to the damage the El- Zakzaky group would cause, by the time it decides to take its own revenge, writes our North-West Bureau Chief, ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, who has been following developments within the movement, since September 1996, when the late Gen. Sani Abacha, ordered El-Zakzaky’s arrest, following his declaration that there was no government worthy of being obeyed, except that of Islam.
It was in June 2009, in the serene atmosphere of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The late Mohammed Yusuf, leader of the now outlawed Boko Haram, had led a mourning procession of his members, to bury four of its members who had died in a motor accident, on the Biu-Maiduguri road.
In the process, they encountered men of the Operation Flush, the then state’s security outfit, put in place by the then governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to fight armed robbery, and the men questioned the group on why those of them riding on okada, were not wearing crash helmets. The group told the security operatives that it had no business with their government, and as such, the laws of the government could not be binding on them. An argument ensued in the process, and in the end 17 members of the group were sent to their early graves, by the security operatives.
Expectedly, the security agents involved in that unfortunate incident claimed they acted in self-defence, claiming among other things that the Boko Haram members attempted to “snatch” their guns.
In spite of the heavy casualty on the part of the group, it did not fight back immediately, instead, it wrote to the Police and the state government asking for adequate compensation in accordance with Islamic injunctions, for the families of the deceased. But both the state government and the security operatives turned the deaf ears.
However, in of one his Friday sermons, the late Yusuf had publicly announced the intention of the group to take revenge, should the government fail to act. And because Yusuf, at the time represented what looked like an alternative to Sheriff’s government, owing to its repressive postures, it was easy for Yusuf to galvanize support base, since no politician was man enough to stand up to the then governor at the time. Yusuf, therefore, became a rallying point.
After taking every practical step to seek compensation without any positive response, Yusuf concluded the only option left to the group was to seek revenge. The revenge was what led to the July 26-29, 2009 uprising in Maiduguri, and till date Nigeria and Nigerians are worse for it.
Who are the Shi’ites?
All over the world, the Shi’ite group is in the minority. Their doctrines represent anything but Islam.
Although, there is no clear and established relationship between members of the Boko Haram group and the El-Zakzaky-led group, there are certain similarities they both share in common.
For instance, Saturday Sun gathered that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, led by El-Zakzaky, with a strong Iranian backing, began its campaign for total Shariah implementation in Nigeria, long before Boko Haram came on stage.
Also, when the group started in the 1980s, like Boko Haram, it had no regard for established political institutions. And like Boko Haram members, the early members of the group, had cause to tear their academic qualifications in the past. But that has since changed, as they boast of prominent members within the military circle, police and other paramilitary organisations. In fact, the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, is one of the group’s vociferous members.
Saturday Sun recalls that a governor from one of the states in the North had confided in this reporter in 1999, that the group’s leader had asked him to set both the constitution of Nigeria and its flag ablaze, if indeed, the governor was interested in implementing real and full Shariah in the country.
The governor was explaining why El-Zakzaky was not part of the Shariah launch in the state, to a group of civil society members.
Saturday Sun also gathered that most of the early members of Boko Haram, including the late Yusuf, had at one point or the other had contacts with El-Zakzaky, a claim, El- Zakzaky, had always denied. But until he was gruesomely murdered along his son, by Boko Haram members in Zaria, Zaria-based cleric, Sheikh Adam Al-Bani, had during sermons and interview sessions, including the last one he granted Saturday Sun, maintained that the late Yusuf was indeed one of those who trained under El-Zakzaky, before they went their separate ways.
The Shi’ites, Saturday Sun gathered is an abbreviation from “Shiatu Ali” which simply means followers of Ali. Ali is Prophet Muhammad’s cousin. The Shi’ites believe that Angel Gabriel mistakenly gave Prophet Muhammad the revelation message, insisting that Ali ought to have been the prophet.
Unlike majority of the Muslims who believe in five daily prayers, the Shi’ites have just three official prayers. But like Boko Haram members, they are well trained in guerrilla warfare, bomb making and combat.
The group also allows members to move around with comfort woman, otherwise known as temporary marriage. Like Boko Haram, the group also believes that it was possible to establish a full scale sharia in Nigeria where both political leadership would be guided strictly by the Islamic law, as obtained in Iran.
While majority of the Muslims follow the many Hadith considered authenticated sayings of Prophet Muhammad, to help interpret the Qur’an, the group does not accept the authority of the six major Hadith collections, instead they follow the three Hadiths they call “the Three Muhammads.”
El-Zakzaky, Saturday Sun, can authoritatively reveal, is not an Hausa man. He is an Ebira man, from Kogi State, who has adopted Zaria, as his home. In fact, there a few Yoruba among his followers, but who are also claiming other states, other than their original states of origin.
Like Boko Haram, Saturday Sun gathered that the group had also had its fare share of violent confrontations with security operatives in Nigeria.
Saturday Sun gathered that the group’s leader was arrested and detained without any charge in September 1996. He was only charged with treason in August 1998, before his eventual release in December, 1998, after the death of General Sani Abacha.
However, throughout the period of his incarceration, members of his group engaged in fierce battles with security operatives, with Kaduna residents, bearing the brunt of the battles, while they lasted.
However, since the return of democracy in 1999, apart from allegation of stockpiling arms, made against his group by the police, and occasional minor skirmishes between the group and other communities in Zaria, Friday, July 25, 2014 clash between the group and soldiers, became its first major encounter with security operatives, after the release of its leader from the gulag, about 17 years ago. And it was followed by another bloody one last Saturday, again, between the group and soldiers.
In the 2014 encounter, the group lost 35 of its members, including three sons of the leader of the group, in the encounter that lasted for two days. In this latest clash however, there are conflicting figures of casualties. However, the group would have lost close to 70 of its members.
What is their history?
Before 2008, the group can only be found in their large numbers in Kaduna State, with strong presence in Zaria, Kano, Sokoto and Katsina. But by 2008, the Sokoto residents, with strong backing from the then government descended on the group, and ran the members out of the town.
The group was accused of murdering Sheikh Umar Danmaishiyya, who incidentally was one of the vociferous critics of the group in Nigeria. As result of the scholar’s demise, a certain Malam Qasim Umar Rimin Tawaye, who at the time was a leading cleric of the group in Sokoto State, was arrested and detained.
He was detained alongside 138 other members of the group, over the murder. As if that was enough, Sokoto State government at the time leveled Malam Qasim’s father’s house, just as it demolished other properties of the group’s members. That was how the group was sent packing from Sokoto State, albeit unofficially. But majority of their Sokoto members, have either returned to Zaria or Katsina, to settle.
The group had always had reasons to mount processions involving thousands of its members, including women and children, trekking from one city to the other, annually.
Traffic on the Kaduna-Zaria road and Kano-Zaria road is often held to a standstill, each time they are on such processions.
Several times, members of the group had barricaded roads in Zaria, subjecting motorists and cyclists to thorough check. In fact, the group carries on, as though, it was law unto itself.
For instance, early this year, shortly before the elections, the then governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Ramalan Yero, had gone on a condolence visit to Gyallesu, in Tudun Wada, Zaria, an area under the firm control of the group, when some members of the group stopped the governor’s convoy and asked him and his entourage to get off from their vehicles and trek a long distance to their final destination.
Every appeal to make them shift ground, failed, thus prompting one of the governor’s security aides to fire shots into the air to clear the way. But the governor rebuked the security aide, and instead succumbed to the humiliating condition of the group, as he trekked the long distance.
The blockage of roads by the group, ignited its first major clash, with the army, last year.
What level of sympathy do they enjoy from other Muslims?
Most Nigerian Muslims may never have the courage to publicly upbraid the group, Saturday Sun can, however, confirm that they enjoy little or no sympathy from other Nigerian Muslims.
But one man, who has been courageous enough to take on the group and its leader publicly, is Sheik Ahmad Mahmud Gumi.
In an open letter to El-Zakzaky, after last year’s incident, in which he lost three of his sons, Gumi, had accused him of leading millions of youths astray and that, Allah would not forgive him if he (Zakzaky) dies without repenting.
In the letter titled: “My Brother Ibraheem El- Zakzaky: It’s not too late to repent”, Gumi had said: “After registering my condolences to the recent loss of your three children who were gunned down by some elements in the military, I find it an obligation to help you see that some of your actions too are the contributing factors in this unfortunate avoidable tragedy.
“What I fear most for you and your followers is that the consequence of this tragedy may further alienate your group from the mainstream society and create a cult -if it’s not already one – with disastrous consequences on you, your followers and the nation at large. For you, especially, on the day of judgment you will have your account to answer.
“My brother, you have brought a lot of bad innovations among Nigerian Muslims that rather than unite the Muslims are further entrenching the divide without any added value to the worldly development nor the hereafter, but rather with serious theological implications in the hereafter.
“What triggered my attention to your group now is the most recent close encounter I made with a procession of your followers on the highway from Kano to Zaria yesterday (December 8, 2014) on my way to Dutse, about four to six thousand youths and children, trekking long distance for hours. I gave a two hour lecture in Duste and met them still trekking on my way back.
“I cannot understand under which civil or religious law you have the right and liberty to block one side of the double carriage road, forcing motorists to cramp dangerously on one lane. If your action is to propa¬gate your creed, I am telling you, you will only attract the poor young ignorant miscreants of the society, never the sane, except of course, the disgruntled.
“Brother, I write you this open letter for others also not necessarily in your sect to get admonition. It is never intended to trigger a sectarian argument. It’s about public order and mannerism. May Allah guide us all to his pleasure and give us the courage to revert back to the truth and what is righteous. Amin.”
And El-Zakzaky fires back
El-Zakzaky, through his Head of Media, Ibrahim Usman (who was killed last Sunday), in the latest clash, accused Gumi of writing with “insidious in-tent to pave the way for a greater onslaught on El- Zakzaky” and members of his sect.
“Dr. Gumi has lost credibility among the Muslim fold, as he constantly sells Israel above the Muslims Ummah, describing Jews as the most religious and intelligent race over the Muslims. Because of his lost credibility, he envies the ever-increasing flow of Shi’ites and Shi’a awareness in Nigeria, while at the same time trying to establish his Wahabbi and Takfir brand of Islam in Nigeria.
“I am not surprised with the content of an open let¬ter written by Dr. Gumi at this particular time (forget the sinister “My Brother” tone and the crocodile tears of condolence). The choice of the time to write the letter gave Dr. Gumi a way, he was all out to attack me and the Arba’een symbolic trek currently taking place across the country. I am used to his constant attacks on me and Shi’a.
“This is not the first time Dr. Gumi is complaining that members of the Islamic Movement led by Sheikh Zakzaky are blocking public roads in the name of procession. In 2009, Gumi registered the same com¬plaint during his Tafsir in Sultan Bello Mosque. He went ahead dangerously to call on the government to shoot those he called ‘Shi’ites’ blocking public roads.
“According to Dr. Gumi, Allah has given the gov¬ernment the ‘licence to shoot them’. And the gov¬ernment heeded the call. A week after, armed and combined security operatives shot two people during the Quds Day procession in Zaria. The series of machinations by the government against the Islamic Movement in Nigeria had always been with the tacit support of Dr. Gumi and his adherents.
“We believe that the letter was written with insidi¬ous intent to pave way for a greater onslaught on the Islamic Movement and Sheikh Zakzaky. It was also meant to incite Muslims against those he referred to as Shi’ites. The world arrogant powers, U.S. and Is¬rael, are now all out to assassinate Sheikh Zakzaky and unleash terrorist attacks on all public gatherings of the Movement, especially the Arba’een symbolic trek.
“This is exactly what Dr. Gumi is doing through the letter. He is doing their dirty work. For Dr. Gumi who has lost credibil¬ity even among his circle to claim that, the Shi’ites are chanting ‘hate songs’, is the pot calling the kettle black. In most of his Talk Shows that he calls Tafsir, he spends sub¬stantial part of his time unleashing venoms on Shi’a and Sheikh Zakzaky, while his un¬informed and unruly listeners pollutes the air with war cry.
“For the information of Dr. Gumi, the Shi’ites are embarking on a mass trek to Zaria, as a symbolic gesture to the one in Karbala, Iraq to commemorate the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS). The trek is to recall the trials and tribula¬tions faced by the Household of the Holy Prophet, chained and dragged in the scorch¬ing desert from Karbala in Iraq, to Damas-cus in Syria, after the brutal killing of Imam Husain by the army of despotic Yazid.
“This is our faith, our creed; it is our legs and bodies we use for the trek. Why is Dr. Gumi so much worried like the CIA and MOSSAD? I have not even for once heard Dr. Gumi complaining of road blockade during political rallies and other mob activi¬ties, but activities of the Shi’ites worried the Dr. Gumi so much that he billows.
“He questioned our rights to embark on a procession or trek, we have every right as citizens to demonstrate for or against, prop¬agate and practice our creed. Let Dr. Gumi rejoice over the killing of Husain, grandson of the Holy Prophet, son of Fatimah and Ali, as he always does.
“As we mourn and beat our chests, we say: ‘O self, you are worthless after Hus¬sein. My life and death are one and the same, so be it if they call me insane! As for the trek, which he detests so much, we pro¬claim as we command and march forward: If they sever our legs and hands, we shall crawl to the Husain!” El-Zakzaky said in his reaction.
Other Nigerians react
General Officer Commanding (GOC), I Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Ma¬jor-General Adeniyi Oyebade, has de¬scribed Ibraheem El-Zakzaky-led Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria as a govern¬ment within a constituted government.
Addressing journalists last Monday, the GOC said both Zakzaky and his wife are in safe custody, even though he was not specif¬ic about where they were being kept.
The GOC added that it was erroneous for people to say that members of the Muslim sect were not armed on the fateful day, say¬ing that the use of catapults could be deadli¬er than live bullets.
Also, reacting in a similar vein, Kadu¬na State Commissioner of police, Shehu Umar, who was at the same press briefing, addressed by the GOC, regretted that the Shi’ite group has no regard for constituted authority.
The Police Commissioner said, “Shi’ite doesn’t recognise any government in power, let alone having regard for the police. They don’t seek police permit whenever they are going on procession.”
But the former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, told Saturday Sun in an interview that the Army over-reacted by killing some members of the sect.
According to him, “I want to say that El-Zakzaky’s brotherhood was provoked, and the government or the Army over-reacted. This over-re¬action could be dangerous because next time bodies like Nigeria La¬bour Congress (NLC), members of political groups, secessionist groups, among other pressure groups, may join the brotherhood in solidarity.
“If government continues to over-react like this, we will end up breed¬ing a group that is deadlier than Boko Haram, which is already a prob¬lem on our hands. Government mismanaged the situation, but I wish to advise government to follow the advice of the Sultan of Sokoto, by setting up panel of inquiry on how to go about this terrible situation”.
In his own reaction, the Media Adviser of the Islamic Movement, Ibra¬him Musa said in a statement that the attack on members of the Shi’ite sect was genocide plan by the Nigerian Army on the Shi’ite members.
The statement said: “Even today (last Monday) the soldiers put Army road block in Zaria to Kaduna highway near Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, searching for any member of the Islamic Movement.
“The most weird of many of such cases is that of an Army road block at Dogarawa near Zaria where they killed 30 of our members travelling to Zaria the following day.
“We believe that the Army is clearing the corpses to unknown lo¬cations for mass burials to cover up for its crime. We hereby demand unequivocally that they should release the corpses to us, so that we can give them a proper Islamic burial. The people they kill are not foreign¬ers; they are citizens with their relatives known.
“We believe that this incident is planned and executed by the govern¬ment which has been looking the other way while the Army was killing members of the movement for a period of over 27 hours from Saturday as the Army continues with its killing spree.
“As the Army continues its genocide on members of the movement, with support of the government, we hereby call on peace lovers and the international community to join us in condemning the act for it is virtually ridiculous to think that the government can kill the millions of members of the movement,” the group added.
On his part, National President, Youth Development and Rebirth Ini¬tiate, Alhaji Abdulwasiu Adebayo, told Saturday Sun: “The sect should have respect for constituted authority; this is not the first time the sect has run into trouble with the Army. However, I blame the Army for ex¬trajudicial killing. Government should adopt stick and carrot approach with the sect.
“The sect has the right to protest on the street, so also all Nigerians have right of the public roads. So, I advise that the sect should resort to using an open place to organise their activities and procession in order to avoid this type of bloodletting.”
Shiite and foreign affiliates
It is an open secret in Nigeria that the government of the Islamic Re¬public of Iran is one of the major backers of the group.
And it showed it clearly, by last Monday, when it reacted with anger to the crackdown on Shi’ite leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his followers.
The government reacted through the Deputy Head of Iran Supreme Leader’s Office for International Affairs Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Qomi, who was on tour of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
He expressed concern about whereabouts of Nigerian religious leader, El-Zakzaky, saying that the Nigerian government should not let the cur¬rent critical situation to get worse.
Qomi was quoted as saying: “Regretfully, in recent days we see a suspicious episode is taking place in Nigeria and the Israeli regime is likely to be clandestinely involved. Sheikh has been arrested by the state forces. He is alive and not martyred.
“From the early stages of disappearance, masses of people in Nige¬ria and African countries staged rallies to condemn violation of human rights in Nigeria. Iranian foreign ministry held different contacts with Nigerian officials, urging them not to let the current critical situation to exacerbate.
“The Foreign Ministry urged the Nigerian government to bring to jus¬tice those involved in abduction of the Nigerian religious leader.”
In a related development, Saturday Sun gathered that the Iranian For¬eign Ministry last Monday summoned Nigerian charge d’affaires to pro¬test to Nigerian government over invasion of a Shia religious site in the city of Zaria by the Nigerian army, which left too many Shia Muslims dead and wounded.
Last line
Like the Boko Haram members, the El-Zakzaky-led group has the ca¬pacity to take revenge if and when it decides to. However, only time will tell if the group will ever seek revenge. But one thing is certain, should the group decide to seek revenge, what the country is witnessing today, concerning real Boko Haram-induced attacks, would be a child’s play, compared to what would follow.