Detained members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria exonerated

During its sitting on 29/9/2010 the High Court of Justice in Sokoto has exonerated members of the Islamic Movement for alleged murder of one Umar Danmaishiyya.

The Chief Judge Danlami Sambo absolved the accused in a statement he read:

“Based on the 11 witnesses presented by the state government, none of them has any concrete evidence linking the accused to the alleged murder. The accused are Mallam Kasimu Umar, Mallam Sidi Mannir Mainasara and Hassan maccido. Based on the lack of substantive evidence, I therefore absolved them of murder charges and connivance to commit murder, and therefore released them completely”

Members of the Islamic Movement in Sokoto suffered series of attacks in 2007 under the order of the state Governor Ali Wammako which led to the death of some members in addition to the destruction of their landed properties worth millions of Naira for alleged killing of one Umar Danmaishiya by unknown assassins believed to have been sponsored by the Governor to fulfill his campaign promises which, among others, include dealing with what he called spread of Shi’isim in the state. In order to achieve its aim, the Government hired some Clerics for campaign of calumny against members of the Islamic Movement aimed at discouraging people’s sympathy toward them.

The attack in 2007 was carried out by Governor’s thugs carrying various dangerous arms like cutlasses , knives, iron rods, sticks etc under the protection of joint team of police and soldiers in a country which claims to practice democracy !

After the attack in 2007 six people were confirmed killed while 113 were arrested and still in detention in various prisons across the country while over 300 houses and shops were destroyed by the thugs.

Few days after tensions subsided the thugs went houses searching for members and in the process a total of 12 members were killed since the attack and hundreds were arrested. Not only in the Sokoto metropolis, the attack was also carried out in various surrounding villages like Takakume and Basansan where many were arrested. In fact, because of the incessant 2007 attacks, hundreds of families had to flee for safety and are now taking refuge in various cities and towns which include Kano, Kaduna, Suleja, Bauchi, Zaria etc.