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| Ibraheem El-Zakzaky |
The Federal Government has urged Iran to withdraw its support for the Islamic Movement of Nigeria towards discouraging Shiites’ protests, top sources confirmed on Friday.
Series of meetings were held between Nigeria’s intelligence officials and the High Command and Supreme Leadership Council of Iran over the last 12 months, after which Iran agreed to withdraw support for the Islamic movement.
According to competent military sources on Friday, the discreet engagements and contacts between Nigeria and Iran were facilitated by the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.
One of the sources said the engagement focused on how to contain the “violent tendencies of Shiites in the country and their confrontations with security agencies.”
He said, “The Islamic Movement of Nigeria is seen as a benefactor and vehicle for the import of Iranian Shia ideology in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
“Recall that there had been confrontations between the movement and security forces, especially the army and the police in Zaria, Kaduna State; Zuba in Abuja; and the Karu area of Nasarawa State. These violent clashes necessitated a change of tactics and strategy and the adoption of non-Kinetic warfare.”
Another source noted that the Federal Government met with a Shia group in Kano State, Rasulul Aazam Foundation, which helped in the negotiation with Iran.
In October, 2018, the Shiites had their latest violent clashes with the army and the police while demanding the release of its leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife.
The Shiites had also in December, 2018 staged a protest in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to mark three years’ detention of El-Zakzaky, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since December, 2015.
A spokesman of the movement and Secretary of the IMN Academic Forum, Mr Abdullahi Musa, had said that Shiites would not relent in their demand for the “unconditional release of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife.”
