Shiites: Deaf Ears

There have been series of advocacies for the Nigerian government to be tactful when dealing with members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) popularly known as Shiites, who have been protesting for the release of their leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife from detention. Since 2015, Zakzaky and his wife have been in detention despite reports of ill health and court orders for his release. Yesterday’s violent clash between Shiite protesters and security personnel at the National Assembly complex is yet another step towards the slippery slope the country is embarking on.

In October 2018, Shiites protesters and an army convoy clashed in Abuja, the nation’s capital. There has not been any official figure for the number of casualties for both parties. While media reports say 45 shiites protesters were killed, the Nigerian Army holds that only six people died. It is obvious that Nigerian government has not learnt from the Boko Haram menace that started out as a religious activity until government’s violent clampdown radicalised the group.

Many Shiites sympathisers argue that the protests have been peaceful, and have only turned violent because of Nigerian security personnel aggressiveness. Contrary opinions hold that the actions of the protesters have triggered the violent clashes. Regardless of diverse views, one thing is constant, there is a tipping point to this issue. If the IMN members continue to face violence during their protests, chances are that they will become radicalised. After the October clash, The Economist opines that the army is testing the restraint of IMN in what it tagged ‘Making a Militant.\’

A Slippery Slope also argues that, if government feels it is not in the best interest of national security to release the IMN leader, it should be contested in the law court or there should be some sort of security arrangement to monitor his activities after release. If this melee continues, it could degenerate into a full-blown conflict situation like the Boko Haram. Therefore, we should be asking some obvious questions. First, can the nation handle another terror group considering that it has been unable to defeat one since 2009? Secondly What will be the overall impact of such violence on the nation’s  struggling economy and the stability, given that Abuja, the capital, is about the only “relative safe city” in the country? Thirdly, why militarise another part of the country for an issue that could best be handled without military presence? Finally, some of the police officers that have been deployed since yesterday to provided all round security in Abuja could best  be deployed to do same in the North East and North West, where their presence are highly needed.

Yesterday’s report indicates that the group is becoming violent and aggressive in their protests. A trend that is likely to worsen if it is not cautiously handled. Government cannot continue to turn deaf ears to the protests of the Shiites and only employ combative measures to address it. An article released after the October clash by Nextier SPD, Should Stones Become Bullets opine that although combative measures will earn temporary reprieve, it is painstaking engagements that will achieve sustainable stability. Government must do the needful and not create another terror group for the country.