The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites, has expressed great concerns about the whereabouts of its Leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, claiming that he was last seen or heard from on Tuesday soon after he was arraigned before a Kaduna state high court.

In a statement made available to newsmen by the president of the Media Forum of the Islamic Movement, Ibrahim Musa, the Movement said the open mobile phone lines with which close family members of the Sheikh hitherto used to contact him were switched off since the early hours of yesterday morning when he was forcibly taken to court from his previous detention site in Abuja.

“As of this dawn, I would like to inform all those who may be concerned that I have lost all contact with my parents,” his only surviving son, Muhammad said in a social media post today.

“All the lines of the family members staying with the Sheikh while in detention in Abuja have been switched off all day as well,” according to the Movement’s statement.

“Followers of the Sheikh are deeply concerned with this latest development because those detaining him have never hidden their intention to see to his demise, had it not been for Allah’s protection. This was evident right from the December 2015 Zaria massacre by the Army.

“We, therefore, call on the DSS in whose hand the court entrusted the Sheikh on Tuesday, to as a matter of urgency inform at least his close family members of the whereabouts of our leader, Sheikh Zakzaky.”

“The enemies of Sheikh Zakzaky and the Islamic Movement should be reminded that the world has seen when he was brought to court and when he was taken from the court. Therefore the federal government should be held responsible should anything untoward happen to our leader,” the statement concluded.

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