Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, have blamed President Muhammadu Buhari for their ordeal and non-release of their leader, Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky, from custody.

They alleged that President Buhari was not only briefed about the clampdown on them by Nigerian Army between December 12 and 14, 2015, “he sanctioned and ordered it.”

But in a swift reaction, the Presidency yesterday distanced President Buhari from the travails of El-Zak Zaky, saying it was purely a matter within the jurisdiction of the Kaduna State government.

Reacting to claims by the Movement that the President was blocking the release of their leader, who has been held since December last year, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, told The Guardian in a telephone interview that it did not make any commonsense to blame Buhari when the matter was being handled by the Kaduna State.

The spokesman said: “The matter has nothing to do with the President, it is a state matter and the President has no hand in the matter.

“Does it really make any sense to believe that the President is blocking the release of their leader when the President has, as a matter of policy, refused to get involved in it? Let them take their case to Kaduna State Government.”

Leaders of the Shiites, who addressed a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, dismissed the findings and recommendations of the Kaduna State Judicial Commission of Inquiry (JCI) as pre-determined against them.

They alleged that Buhari had arrested El-Zakzaky when he was the head of state between 1984 and 1985 and detained him at Alagbon Close, Lagos for 18 months in the same manner he is being detained in Abuja in 2016.

The Chairman of Free Zakzaky Campaign Committee of the IMN, Abdulraham Abubakar Yola, said that President Buhari hid under the cover of accusations against the IMN that it had formed a parallel government in Nigeria, and as such the movement must be dealt with.He said: “This is a time-long allegation. It was one that even President, Muhammadu Buhari mentioned with so much disgust and animosity during his maiden media chat.” (The Guardian)

•Photo shows detained Shiite Leader Zakzaky.

Update news