El-Zakzaky: We must stop the ticking bomb By Kingsley Ahanonu

On Monday, right in the precincts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, there was a clash, between protesting members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, otherwise known as the Shiites, and men of the Nigeria Police Force. The clash as reported claimed more than six lives, amongst who were a deputy commissioner of police and a corps member with Channels Television.

For long, since the last five years, the members of the IMN, who are adherents of the Shiite leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, have consistently been staging loyalty protests and demanding the release of their leader, who has continued to be in detention even after being granted bail by courts of competent jurisdiction.

El-Zakzaky has suffered incarceration, together with his wife, since 2015 when he was arrested by the Nigerian government for alleged inciting activities of his followers during one of their Qudd processions. The matter was taken to a federal high court, where the Islamic leader sought for and was obliged a bail.

However, for whatever reason, and stoutly in defiance of the court order, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to actuate this bail order. Repeatedly, the Shiite movement as the IMN is popularly known has approached the court and successfully acquired bail relief, and repeatedly too the government remains adamant, insisting on holding the cleric against judicial wisdom.

Subjected to a state of incommunicado and with a fledgling health condition, supporters of the elder cleric troop out continuously en masse to demand the release of their revered leader. And as often as they gather in protest, so often they’re cudgelled by the government forces. And always, it is an attempt that’s met with stiff resistance, most times turning bloody.

But the Monday protest in the FCT is not only one too many but obviously one which took lives, and the lives of a high profile police officer and a journalist, among others. One of such persons is a deputy commissioner of police, DCP Umar, whom many claim is a fine gentleman and the other is a young graduate, a journalist on national youth service assignment with Channels Television, Precious Owolabi. While the later was killed by a stray bullet as he covered the protest for his place of primary assignment, the former was reportedly shot in a crossfire.

Sad and gloomy as the day’s outcome could be, yet the deeper question that comes out seeks to know what underpins these constant protests and bloodletting. Couldn’t there be anything done to entirely stop them and wedge a potential deterioration? Fortunately, the answer to this question could be found so easily, but rather unfortunately, in one such inflicted misfortune, the easy solution to this has been stood upon.

How on earth would a government not respect the verdict of its institutions, saddled with the responsibility to adjudicate in criminal and civil matters such as this? What adequate grounds does the Muhammadu Buhari government have in keeping El-Zakzaky and wife in custody even against wise counsel of the courts?

In the face of such impunity, such disdain and such outright disregard to sensibility, what is expected of victims, who are continuously traduced by the insensitivity and blatancy of government? What do the executors of the law expect from those whom the law is supposedly meant to defend?

The anarchy being unleashed is the expected result of a situation when a government allows people to take the law into their own hands. If care is not taken, the eventual mastitis might prove this a ticking bomb and how it’s badly managed. And this is what is mostly unfortunate!

Kingsley Ahanonu, Owerri.