The Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement, under the leadership of the Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, on Friday, said the allegation that the group planned to import arms into the country through the northern borders is untrue and baseless.
The group, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by Abdullahi Musa, also described the allegation as “unintelligent report.”
In the statement titled: “We Do Not Need Weapons To Challenge Oppression,” Musa said: “It’s obvious that Islamic Movement have proven track record of non violence activities for over 40years.”
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a purported information given to the leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service by some security agents in the country claiming a plan of covert arms import by brothers of the Islamic movement under the leadership of Shaikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky(H) through Northern boarders especially the one situated in Geidam, Yobe State.
‘We categorically reject this baseless allegation and unintelligent report, and therefore call on the public to shun away from this concocted information.
“Its obvious that Islamic movement have proven track record of non violence activities for over 40years.
“It is in record, that the 2015 Zaria massacre was solely on baseless allegations.”
According to him, we therefore considered this recent unintelligent report as a plan to blackmail our brothers and sisters who are currently participating in the ongoing annual conference on islamic thought holding in Niamey, Niger Republic.
“The Nigerian security should please note that, the public and the communities around borders are fully aware of the activities of the Islamic movement and will never accept such baseless allegation.
“Whoever is apprehended importing weapons from anywhere should have direct or indirect link with the same security agents not Islamic movement.
“We therefore call on our brothers and sisters as well as the entire public to be vigilant at every security check points so that security agents will not plant any exhibits in their vehicles under the guise of security search,” he added.
Musa also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to unconditionally release the international passports of their leader, El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenah.
