The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has officially declared that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria led by Ibraheem Zakzaky has been proscribed and all protests by the movement banned.
According to him, anyone associated with the IMN or furthering their agenda will be treated as a terrorist and an enemy of the state.
The police boss made the declaration on Tuesday at a meeting with senior police officers at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
He also highlighted some of the achievements recorded by the police in their resolve to fight crime in the country.
The conference was in continuation of the IGP’s management tradition to constantly engage strategic managers across all commands in the police.
Full IGP speech as tweeted by the Force Headquarters:
I warmly welcome you all to this Conference which is a continuation of my management tradition to constantly engage strategic managers across all Commands in the Nigeria Police towards regularly evaluating the internal security profile of the country.
This is with the intent to keep abreast with the dynamics of crime and to jointly discuss pathways towards either strengthening existing strategies or evolving new approaches.
Within this context, I am delighted to note that the strategies so far emplaced and the commitment demonstrated by officers across all ranks in the Nigeria Police within the past months have combined to aid in stabilizing the internal security profile of the country.
In consequence, between January 2019 to date, a total of four thousand, one hundred and eighty-seven (4,187) high profile suspects have been arrested nationwide.
This includes one thousand, six hundred and twenty-nine (1,629) armed robbery suspects; one thousand and fifty-three (1,053) suspected kidnappers; one thousand and twenty-three (1,023) cultists, and four hundred and eighty-two (482) murder suspects.
In addition, 1,181 firearms of various descriptions and calibre including improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket launchers were recovered in various police operations across the country within the same period.
Three hundred and eighty-nine (389) stolen vehicles were also recovered from criminal elements, while 506 kidnapped victims have been safely rescued. It is pertinent to mention that of the rescued victims, 300 were secured in Zamfara State.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has published in its official gazette the court order proscribing the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.
The order was published in the gazette on Monday.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, which issued the proscription order on July 26, ordered the Federal Government to publish the order in its gazette and in two national dailies.
The newspaper publication in two dailies has since been done.
A copy of the gazette seen on Tuesday, described it as “Government Notice No. 79”.
It is titled, ‘Terrorism (Prevention) Proscription Order Notice, 2019.’
Pages B597 to 602 of the document contained details of the enrolled order of the Federal High Court and the Federal Government’s warning against participating in IMN’s activities.
The notice read in part, “Notice is hereby given that by the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit No. FHC/ABJ/Cs/876/2019 dated July 26, 2019 as per the schedule to this notice, the activities of Islamic Movement in Nigeria are declared to be terrorism and illegal in any part of Nigeria, as proscribed, pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 (as amended).
“Consequently, the general public is hereby warned that any person or group of persons participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intentions or otherwise of the said group will be violating the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 (as amended) and liable to prosecution.
“(This notice shall be cited as the Terrorism (Prevention) Proscription Order Notice 2019.” – Additional report from Punch.
