- A group has called for an end to the growing crisis between Shiites and security agents
- The group said Shiites' protests are targeted at destabilizing Abuja ahead of the 2019 general elections
- According to the group, if urgent step is not taken, it would snowball into national tragedy
A group has condemned the growing clash between soldiers of the Nigerian Army and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria known as Shiites.
The Abuja chapter of the Young Christian Forum (YCF) on Tuesday, October 30, said the frequent protests embarked upon by Shiites is targeted at destabilizing Abuja ahead of the 2019 general elections.
YCF said the Federal Capital Territory has suffered monumental disruption of its activities when the Boko Haram terrorists rained hell on key government infrastructures including the bombing of the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, the office of the United Nations, as well as the popular and busy Nyanya Motor park that left hundreds dead and many others injured.
READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda
Speaking of the clashes, the president of the forum, Reverend Jolly Egbe, warned that if urgent step is not taken, it would snowball into national tragedy.
He said residents of the FCT moved around then with fear not knowing when and where the next bomb would detonate, which ultimately made palpable tension evident in the Federal Capital Territory.
Egbe said: "However, all of these changed when the Nigeria Army intensified its counter terrorism operations, especially in North East Nigeria and the federal capital territory."
READ ALSO: Civil servants scamper to safety as Shiites, police clash in front of federal secretariat
"Consequently, the federal capital territory has continued to experience peace and stability since 2015. There is no doubt that life was restored to public places such as gardens, airports, mosques, churches and offices that were difficult to visit without the fear of bombs," Egbe said.
"We are however, constrained to lend our voice to the growing threat that the members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria have continued to pose to residents of the federal capital territory in recent times, which if not nipped in the bud , is capable of taking us back to the dark years where residents in the federal capital territory lived in fear of terror.
"The members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in recent times have constituted themselves into a threat to national peace and tranquility, and we are all witnesses to the numerous occasions where they have indeed disrupted activities in the federal capital territory with impunity. For the records, it is good to mention that these group have closed markets several times and prevented adherents of other religions from worshiping.
"The Young Christians Forum is indeed worried with this trend and is also of the opinion that the relevant security agencies must rise to the occasion in an attempt to save the residents of the federal capital territory the agony of going about their daily activities in fear.
"While this is of great national importance, it would also indeed save the country as a whole the international embarrassment that is usually associated with terrorist activities.
"It is also succinct to add that that members of the diplomatic community are resident in the federal capital territory and at the risk of creating a panic mode, the relevant security agencies must address this threat once and for all.
He further urged other religious bodies in the FCT to ensure that the security of lives and properties is not the duty of our security agencies alone.
PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update
Egbe said the sanctity of human lives must not be politicized under whatever guise if Nigerians are desirous of making progress as a nation.
"It is to this end that we are calling on the world to speak out against the evil that the IMN poss to our peaceful co-existence and fundamental rights. We shall in the next 24 hours embarking on a peace rally to register our displeasure against the activities of the IMN group within and outside the FCT.
"We cannot wait for the security agencies before we do our beats as citizens and this is no exception to our resolve to protect our fundamental human rights," he said.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that civil servants in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, have scampered out of their offices, as security agents confront members of the IMN sect who infiltrated into the city centre on Tuesday, October 30.
The IMN members also known as Shiites have for the third day staged protests against the continued detention of their leader, Shiekh Ibrahim Zakzaky.
Nigerian Air Force Operations Against Boko Haram | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
