The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has said that security operatives are currently actively spreading misinformation and wild rumours with a view to breaking the movement’s will and resolve, and also to cause confusion so as to find opportunity ‘to turn our peaceful protests violent.”

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Media Forum and signed by the President, Ibrahim Musa said that credible reports have confirmed that hoodlums and security operatives have already been commissioned by the authorities to massively infiltrate our Free Zakzaky campaign activities to wreak havoc in our name and thereby instigate members of the Islamic Movement into misconduct, which they will then capitalise on to paint the Movement black. “They will pretend they are working to free our leader while in fact they mean evil. By this evil plot, the hoodlums and security operatives will carry out series of attacks and subsequently attribute same to the members of the Movement so that they could achieve what they have so far failed to do, which is associate the peaceful campaigns to free Sheikh Zakzaky in Abuja as well as in all other parts of the country with violence in order to swing public opinion against the Movement and justify the continued illegal and contemptuous detention of our leader,” the group said.

“Among other evil schemes, they plan to foment trouble by burning tyres and properties in the course of our peaceful processions. They also hope to achieve their mischievous aims by provoking us to wreak havoc and attribute same to a supposed reaction of members of the Islamic Movement.

“Definitely, it is very necessary to reiterate that the Islamic Movement has never and will never engage in any acts of violence to achieve its objectives. Any forms of violence in our name or attempt to label us violent in any way are hereby vehemently rejected. The Movement is not and will not be responsible for any breech of peace or violence that will result from any of these plots,” the group declared.

It noted further: “We will however not relent in our peaceful mass protests as long as the government continues to keep Sheikh Zakzaky in illegal detention even with his deteriorating health situation and without access to proper medical attention and his lawyers.

“We will continue to employ all lawful, legal and constitutional means to achieve our goals, and would not be blackmailed into submission or surrender. To this end, our timely rallies, processions, campaign and other religious activities will continue as at when due and in our usual peaceful ways without fear of intimidation or any recourse to illogical violent means. We will also continue to seek redress in national and international courts of justice as we have done all along. We would not be held responsible for anything contrary to our peaceful resolve and methods.

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