Court Declares Shiite’s Movement A Terrorist Group, FG Gets Green Light To Proscribe It

The Federal Government has obtained a court order to proscribe the Shiites’ organisation formally referred to as the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the proscription of the Shiites’ movement as protests by the Islamic organisation rock Abuja.
According to PUNCH Justice Nkeonye Maha issued the order in a ruling in which she also designated the activities of the Shiite organisation in any part of Nigeria “as acts of terrorism and illegality.”
The court restrained “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.
To complete the process of the proscription of the group, the court ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation “to publish the order proscribing the respondent (Islamic Movement in Nigeria) in the official gazette and two national dailies.”
However, the spokesperson for the group, Ibrahim Musa, said the government could not proscribe the movement, pointing out that its members were Muslims practising Islam as “revealed” by Prophet Muhammed.
He said the group was neither an association nor a political party that could be proscribed by fiat.