El-Zakzaky: Army On Standby To Move Against Shi’ites – Guards Brigade Commander

The Nigerian Army has said its troops were on standby in Abuja, ready to move in against members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Shiites), who have been carrying out persistent violent protests in the Federal Capital Territory over the continued detention of their spiritual leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, by the Federal government.

Commander, Guards Brigade, Brigadier-General Umar Tama Musa, who disclosed this at the closing ceremony of the Corporal and Below Arms Drill and Endurance Competition in Abuja, said: “Yes, we have the responsibility of providing security for Mr. President, his family and the FCT and environs. But as it is now, the ambit of the issue is within the purview of the Police and the Police have handled the situation well.

“The Guards Brigade is watching the developments very closely and our troops are on standby in case the situation gets out of hand.”

Meanwhile, members of IMN have said the whereabouts of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zainab, is yet to be ascertained.

The El-Zakzakys were, Tuesday, taken from DSS custody in Abuja to Kaduna and arraigned before a state high court on charges of culpable homicide and unlawful assembly. They were reportedly brought back to Abuja same day to continue in detention under the DSS as directed by the Court.

At the sidelines of a #FreeZakzaky protest staged, yesterday evening, along Nyanya/Mararaba axis, Secretary of IMN’s Academic Forum, Mallam Abdullahi Musa, told Vanguard: “Since our leader was taken to Kaduna and reportedly brought back to Abuja, we have not been able to establish contact with him. All his phone numbers have remained switched-off.”

“We were informed this morning, that he is also not at the DSS custody in Abuja. As it stand today, we cannot tell his whereabouts, and we want to alert the world about this.”