By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

It is rather unfortunate that Africa’s most populous country, with a population of over 70 million Muslims, and rich in oil, is mired in poverty and oppression.
Instead of being a vanguard of development and progress, at least in West Africa, the Nigeria of President Mohammadu Buhari appears like a society torn apart because of rampant terrorism, ethnic discrimination, and sectarian sedition.
For more than two years prominent Shi’a Muslim leader of Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky continues to be held in illegal detention despite the Federal Court’s verdict for his release.
The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) last Sunday said it was neither convinced nor fooled by the media interview which the State Security Service arranged for Ibrahim Zakzaky a day earlier.
It was the first time that Sheikh Zakzaky was publicly seen since he was taken into custody after the Nigerian Army raided the Hussainiya in Zaria and massacred peaceful Shi’a Muslims on December 2015.
The revered Sheikh was injured and ever since he has been denied proper medical care. The incident was condemned by rights organisations across the world, including by Amnesty International which called for a thorough investigation and prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
According to reports, the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is currently proceeding with its preliminary investigations into the massacre.
A judicial panel of enquiry set up by the state government found the Nigerian Army culpable in the massacre, and demanded that Adeniyi Oyebade, then Grand Officer Commanding of Nigerian Army 2 Division, and his subordinates stand trial for murder. That recommendation was, however, dropped by the state government.
The IMN and Nigerians of various walks of life, including the country’s Christians, objected to the brief interview with Sheikh Zakzaky, saying it was a clumsy attempt by the government to mislead public opinion.
Part of the statement said: "We challenge the security forces to either release to the public the full unedited interview, or allow an open live free interview with no restrictions.  Undoubtedly, the Islamic Movement is not impressed with this, and certainly is not fooled by the antics of the Buhari security agencies.”
The statement further said: "Our goal is not to see Sheikh Zakzaky in a controlled press clip but our goal is the unconditional freedom of Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife as ordered by a competent Nigerian Court.”
In view of these facts, the Nigerian government is advised to take stock of the situation, instead of dancing to the tunes of the enemies of Islam, such as the Americans, the Zionists and the Saudis.
It saddens the friends of Nigeria to see such indecision or more properly incompetence on the part of the government, regarding the rights of its own citizens. The question is: If Christians and animists are entitled to all privileges in Nigeria, why should Shi’a Muslims be deprived of their birth rights?