Proscription of Shiites movement illegal, unconstitutional ― Ozekhome SAN

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, on Saturday
faulted the Friday’s order of the Federal High Court in Abuja
proscribing the Islamic Movement in Nigeria popularly known as
Shiites.

Ozekhome in a statement sent to our correspondent said the
court’s ruling which also declared the Shiite movement as a
terrorist group was unconstitutional on the grounds that a
religious group could not be banned.

He added that the proscription was discriminatory, under an
Administration which he said had refused to take such step against
killer herdsmen that had been holding the country in the jugular
for a long time.

Contending that the proscription was a violation of the rights
of the members of the group guaranteed under section 38, 40 and 41
of the Constitution, the senior lawyer said, “the Constitution is
ruthlessly being shredded by an intolerant and overbearing civilian
dictatorship.”

Read also: Court declares Shiites’ movement terrorist group

He added, “It is not an association that could be banned.

“Section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution makes Nigeria a secular
State.

“You can’t ban religion, a people’s belief.

“There is also freedom of thought, conscience, and religion in
section 38, while sections 40 and 41 allow for freedom of movement
and association.”

Saturday PUNCH had reported exclusively that the Federal
Government on Friday obtained the ex parte order on Friday, about
three days after a bloody clash between members of the group and
the police in Abuja claimed the lives of the Deputy Commissioner of
Police in charge of Operations, Federal Capital Territory Command,
Usman Umar, and a Channels Television journalist, Precious
Owolabi.

But Ozekhome wondered why the Federal Government had yet to make
a move to proscribe the “herdsmen and their known anchor, Miyetti
Allah Cattle Breeders Association that has held Nigeria down by the
jugular for years”.

He said, “The proscription by the government of the Shi’ites
religious group is highly discriminatory, unconstitutional, as was
the case of Indigenous People of Biafra.

“What group could be more terrorist than the Herdsmen and their
known anchor, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association that has
held Nigeria down by the jugular for years, killing, maiming,
burning, raping, turning Nigeria into a crimson field of a
bloodbath?

“Until the government bans and outlaws these, it is certainly
not serious.

“They are demanding for the release of their leader still kept
in government dungeon in spite of several court orders.

“The Shi’ite group is a religious group, like the President’s
Sunmi group.”

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